“It’s inspiring to see the smooth, efficient, service-driven approach our team takes to ensuring government works for everyone,” said Benson. “I’m so proud of all the staff who have worked with us to innovate and transform how we serve Michiganders.”

Benson visited two offices in the Grand Rapids area, two in the Lansing area, and the office in Howell. She plans to visit every office in the state before the end of the year.

On Thursday, happy residents greeted her as they arrived, quickly conducted their business, and were on their way. It marked a stark contrast to 2019, when Benson visited all 131 offices in her first 100 days after being sworn into office and found lobbies packed with people, sometimes sitting on the floor, kids in tow, waiting miserably in hours-long lines.

Now all office visits statewide are 20 minutes or less on average. Residents can schedule their visit to be seen immediately and confirm which documents they need to bring by visiting Michigan.gov/SOS or calling 888-SOS-MICH.

Additionally, many residents don’t need to visit an office at all, as most services are available online, by mail, and at self-service stations. Most of the stations are located in grocery stores and open evenings and weekends. Many accept cash and all are multilingual. 

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