The Bureau kicked off the audit process of the Nov. 5, 2024 General Election yesterday. The first step of the ballot audit process is a dice roll to determine the random 20-digit number to use with Arlo, the software that randomly selects containers across the state. The paper ballots in those containers will be reviewed and the presidential race hand-tallied to ensure those results line up with the tabulated results. Thank you to the county clerks and staff who have put your reports into the Arlo software. We are still waiting on information from a few counties, so please get this completed as soon as possible. If you need assistance, please send an email to Elections@Michigan.gov.
Once the ballot audit jurisdictions are finalized, additional precincts will be selected to supplement the procedure audit list. The audit selection list will be released in early January.
 Please watch for further information regarding the updated audit manual and training.
The online election official accreditation curriculum is being updated to correspond with the 2024 updates to the accreditation manual. In the meantime, the current material is available for reference. If you have started, but not yet completed the current online accreditation courses by Jan. 10, your progress will be lost, and you will need to start over with the new curriculum.
To avoid lost effort and to receive accreditation certification using the most updated material, newly elected or appointed clerks might want to consider waiting until mid-January to start the accreditation process. The initial course of election official accreditation is required for all newly elected or appointed clerks and should be completed within six months of taking office.
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The Michigan Constitution guarantees the right to state-funded prepaid postage to return an AV ballot application, a voted AV ballot, and a signature cure form. In 2023, BOE established a permit for every jurisdiction based on the mailing address listed in QVF. Through the end of 2024, these permits could be used, or BOE would reimburse for the use of postage affixed to existing envelope stock.
However, starting in 2025, clerks should use the permits for all mail covered in law as postage on existing stock may not be reimbursable. If you are a new clerk and do not know about the prepaid postage process, please review the Prepaid Postage Guide and FAQ. All new and existing clerks should review their permit information to ensure the mailing address is correct. If the incorrect address is used on the envelope, mail may not be returned to your office, and USPS may bill these charges direct to you. If the information listed in the Mailing Address or City & Township columns are not correct, your mailing address is not correct, and you must email BOEOperations@Michigan.gov with the Subject Line: Permit Correction Needed. In the body of the email, include the county, jurisdiction, the incorrect address and the correct address.
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Reminder: Early Voting Grant 1 & August Wage Requests: Documentation for Early Voting Grant 1 and August Wage Requests was due upon form submission. If required documentation is not received by Dec. 31, 2024, reimbursement funding cannot be guaranteed. If you are a new county or local clerk and unsure if you have an open request, email BOEReimbursement@Michigan.gov Subject Line: Reimbursement Status request. Include your county and/or jurisdiction and 7-digit clerk code and the specific request you are checking on.
Early Voting November Wages: The reimbursement claim form for wages from early voting during the November 2024 election is open through Jan. 17, 2025.
To complete your reimbursement request, you will need the following:
- Submitted early voting November Wage Reimbursement Claim Form
- Wage ledger (emailed to BOE-Reimbursement@Michigan.gov)
- Proof of payment (emailed to BOE-Reimbursement@Michigan.gov)
- Signed Reimbursement Claim Certification (emailed to BOE-Reimbursement@Michigan.gov)
BOE will only reimburse counties that submitted estimated wages in the Early Voting Grant from Round 1 and/or Round 2. Please submit one claim form per county.
Early Voting Grant Round 2: Counties that submitted an Early Voting Grant Round 2 application received an email with the specific instructions on how to submit your reimbursement request. The submission period will be open through Dec. 31, 2024. If you did not submit an Early Voting Grant Round 2 application between March 4 and April 26, 2024, you are not eligible to submit a Round 2 grant reimbursement request.
School district election coordinating committees must meet in January or early February 2025. MCL 168.305(2) requires school district election coordinating committees to meet every four years to review and, if necessary, alter the election arrangements set forth in the previous report. This report must be sent to BOE for each school district, regardless of whether or not any changes were made.
These meetings are organized by the school election coordinator. For school districts located in more than one city or township, the election coordinator is the county clerk for the county in which the largest number of school district electors reside. For school districts wholly contained in a single city or township, the election coordinator is the clerk of the city or township where the district is located. It is important to review the challenges of your current plans and adjust accordingly.
Please review the 2025 School District Election Coordinating Committee Guide, various plan templates and supporting material in eLearning at our convenient School District Elections playlist. Questions about school election plans may be directed to Elections@Michigan.gov. To submit your plans to the Secretary of State, please use the School Election Coordinating Committee Plan Submission Form in eLearning.
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BOE will be closed Dec. 24, 25, 31, and Jan. 1 for the state holidays. In addition, the phone line will not be available on Dec. 26 and 27, and phone coverage will end at 2 p.m. on Dec. 23 and 30. While regular phone coverage will not be available during these additional times, BOE staff will still be working and actively monitoring emails, so support for clerks will be available as needed.
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