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August 14, 2020
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Funding Opportunities for November
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The Wednesday, August 12 News Update announced additional funding opportunities in advance of the November election. This article includes information about how to apply for these opportunities and additional things for jurisdictions to consider.
Absent Voter Ballot Envelopes, Pre-Paid Return Postage, and Ballot Tracking
The state is continuing the absent voter ballot envelope funding program from August to ensure that jurisdictions can use custom-printed return envelopes for November. The Bureau will fund envelopes sufficient to cover 60 percent of each local jurisdiction’s registered voters. Custom-printed envelopes will include all design elements mandated by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to ensure envelopes move through the mail system efficiently – including preprinted clerk mailing addresses, intelligent mail barcodes, facing identification marks, and election mail logos. Custom envelopes are more efficient and result in fewer problems than blank “stock” envelopes, which require clerks to address each individual envelope properly and which cannot be efficiently run through post office equipment.
If you already ordered custom-printed envelopes for August (or earlier), and you want more of the same kind, all you need to do is re-order for November. The Bureau will cover costs up to 60 percent of your registered voters. You should assess your own supply needs and consider remaining stock for August to determine whether your jurisdiction needs more envelopes. The highest turnout in a recent presidential election was 2008, when turnout was about 66 percent. In August, about 65 percent of those voting used absent voter ballots. Combining those percentages for November 2020 would mean about 43 percent of registered voters in the state voting an absent voter ballot for November, but it’s possible the number will be higher in many communities.
As with August, if you already ordered custom-printed envelopes for 2020, the state will reimburse you for those purchases. This will be in addition to the August reimbursement, so jurisdictions that have already purchased custom envelopes for both August and November will now be eligible for reimbursement for custom envelopes they have already purchased up to 100 percent of their registered voters (depending on how many have already been purchased). Jurisdictions with stock (no address pre-preprinted) envelopes should continue to retain those for use with in-person absent voter ballots.
There is no form to fill out to purchase additional envelopes; clerks should simply contact their vendors. For clerks who have already purchased envelopes and are seeking reimbursement, the Bureau will circulate a reimbursement form. Please note that clerks will still need to pay for the cost of secrecy sleeves. If clerks are purchasing secrecy sleeves and envelopes from different vendors, they should verify that secrecy sleeves are compatible with envelopes.
Consider Prepaid Postage Options
Clerks should consider prepaid return postage on absent voter return envelopes in making envelope orders. As announced on Wednesday, the state will reimburse for prepaid postage on ballot return envelopes (that is, having the envelopes designed so they say “no postage required”).
For purposes of purchasing envelopes, right now, clerks only need to decide if they will be using “postage prepaid” indicia on envelopes.
Local jurisdictions providing prepaid postage can choose which prepaid option works best for them.
Option 1: Add stamps to return envelopes. This solution requires no additional equipment (other than stamps) and may be the best option for smaller jurisdictions. Custom-printed AV envelopes can be used with stamps without requiring a design change. Local jurisdictions can seek reimbursement for the costs of stamps.
Option 2: Run return envelopes through postage meters. This is similar to option 1 but requires a postage meter. Again, custom-printed AV envelopes can be run through a postage meter without the need to change the design of the custom-printed envelope. Local jurisdictions can seek reimbursement for the costs of metering the envelopes.
Option 3: Add postage-prepaid indicia to return envelopes. This solution will require the local jurisdiction to work with its vendor and the post office to redesign custom-printed envelopes. Depending on whether a local jurisdiction already had a postage prepaid account, this account also may need to be established. Local jurisdictions seeking this option should contact their vendor as soon as possible.
If clerks use postage-prepaid indicia on envelopes, they will be different than those that were used in the May election. For the May election, the state established sub-accounts for local jurisdictions to allow postage prepaid return envelopes paid for directly by the state. This option is not feasible to expand statewide for November because of the time required to establish each account and design each envelope. Therefore, clerks who are using postage prepaid indicia will need to use an account that will be billed to the local jurisdictions, and then be reimbursed by the state. However, jurisdictions that held May elections can use any remaining postage-prepaid envelopes from May, as long as they provide postage-prepaid envelopes to all of their voters.
Ballot-Tracking Options for November
In conjunction with Ann Arbor, Delta Township, and Sault Ste. Marie, the state piloted the Ballot Scout ballot-tracking software in August. Other jurisdictions have used TrackMIBallot and BallotTrax. We are still gathering information from our pilot to assess what will work best for the November election.
Please note, if you are interested in considering one of these options, it might require changes to your envelope design. We do not expect it to require retesting, but it may cause a small delay the printing of your envelopes if changes are needed.
Tabulator Cost Share
An application for expanded funding opportunities for tabulators, high-speed tabulators, and related software to be used with Absent Voter Counting Boards (AVCB) is now available in eLearning.
The program will work the same as the pre-August program. The reimbursement rate will be 50 percent of the tabulator and/or software costs, or $30,000, whichever is less. Tabulators must be used in an Absent Voter Counting Board, but clerks with existing AVCB’s are also eligible to receive cost share to order additional tabulators. Jurisdictions who have already received a cost-share grant in August are welcome to apply, but priority will be given to jurisdictions that did not already receive a cost-share grant in August.
Jurisdictions seeking funding may order both the high-speed tabulator and adjudication software if needed, but funding is capped. The following examples illustrate the funding options available:
Option 1: Get 50% reimbursement for a regular-speed or high-speed tabulator (up to $30,000)
or
Option 2: Get 50% reimbursement for costs expended on high-speed tabulators and related software, capped at $30,000.
Example: Jurisdiction spends $36,000 on a high-speed tabulator and $10,000 on adjudication software. State funding: $23,000
Example: Jurisdiction spends $36,000 on a high-speed tabulator and $40,000 on adjudication software. State funding: $30,000
The deadline to fill out the application is August 24, but time is short for vendors to ship tabulators and scanners by November and funding will be allocated to applicants on a first-come, first-serve basis so we recommend applying as soon as possible.
Supply Order 2.0
Jurisdictions do not need to fill out any form in advance of purchasing supply orders that will be reimbursed by the state. As noted in Wednesday’s news update, this will work differently from the supply order in two ways. First, jurisdictions will be reimbursed up to $200 per precinct (including absent voter counting board precincts) for supplies. Second, jurisdictions can order supplies on their own and seek reimbursement rather than filling out the supply order form. Jurisdictions should note the following:
Because this funding is being provided as security- or health-related under the Help America Vote Act, the supplies must be purchased to help local jurisdictions conduct safe elections in light of COVID-19. This accounts for a broad range of spending, including spending on public communication, health and safety supplies, and supplies to account for increased vote by mail. However, it must be related to COVID-19 in some way. For example, a jurisdiction cannot seek reimbursement for purchasing the regular precinct kits that they were already planning to use for November, but they can seek reimbursement for additional cleaning products to add to precinct kits to allow extra sanitation under COVID-19.
Because of federal purchasing rules, jurisdictions that are spending and being reimbursed for $5,000 or more (25 or more precincts) will have to either use a competitive bidding process or use a vendor with a state contract to purchase supplies. The Bureau will provide a list of vendors with state contracts and supplies available (any jurisdiction can purchase from these vendors, not just larger jurisdictions).
Purchases eligible for reimbursement include (but are not limited to) the following: PPE (masks, face shields, sneeze guards, gloves), hand sanitizer, soap, cleaning equipment, information signs and stickers, additional furniture, equipment, or space to allow for social distancing, any supplies or equipment associated with increased voting by mail (including additional envelopes, automatic letter openers, envelope folders, additional costs for pre-folded ballots, ballot drop boxes, and fees charged by vendors to mail applications or ballots).
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November Election Inspectors |
If you need or want additional recruits to serve as election inspectors in November, please fill out this form for city and township clerks and this form for county clerks. Filling out the form signs you up to participate in the Department of State’s DemocracyMVP initiative, which continues to recruit Michiganders interested in serving as election inspectors. DemocracyMVP will send interested people to clerks who want or need additional election inspectors for November. For any questions or concerns about the initiative, please contact Colleen Garety at GaretyC@Michigan.gov or Sally Marsh at MarshS3@Michigan.gov.
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