Last week, the Secretary of State announced that absent voter ballot applications will be mailed to all Michigan voters for the August 4 Primary and November 3 General Elections. This is in response to the current health crisis and social distancing guidelines, as voting from home will be much safer than voting in the precinct on Election Day. The President […]

Super Tuesday is coming up and so is the Michigan March 10th Presidential Primary Election! What happens if my candidate dropped out of the race for president? The list of candidates for the March 10th Presidential Primary was finalized on December 13, 2019 and ballots for this election went to print by mid-January.  If you see your candidate on your […]

With the passage of Proposal 3 in 2018, and 2020 being a Presidential Election Year, there has been increased attention on absentee voting, and, as a result, there are more questions from those first-time and seasoned voters as well as from campaigns and the media.   First, the envelopes that absentee ballots, directions, return envelopes and secrecy sleeves have changed so […]

With the March 2020 Presidential Primary Election right around the corner, county, city, and township clerks are making preparations. We are also seeing an increase in voters utilizing the opportunity to vote via absent voter (AV) ballot (also known in some states as “Vote at Home”) since the passage of Proposal 3 in 2018. Local clerks are sending out Absent […]

Better roads. Cleaner water. Real Democracy. This post is part of a new project at Eclectablog called “A Fresh Michigan”. Our goal is to help people understand the astonishing impact they can have on the future of our state by supporting the three statewide ballot proposals along with Sam Bagenstos and Megan Kathleen Cavanagh for the State Supreme Court. You […]

The following editorial essay was written by Ingham County Clerk and former State Representative Barb Byrum. Enjoy. Administering elections is a fascinating job, and one that I take very seriously. Like Michigan’s other 82 county clerks, I’m focused on providing reliable, secure, and hassle-free voting for all U.S. citizens, including military and overseas voters who face unique challenges in exercising […]

A recent mailing from the Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) to absentee ballot holders mistakenly identified the County Clerk as the office to return one’s absentee ballot. THIS IS INCORRECT. Absentee ballots returned to the County Clerk cannot be counted. If you are returning your absentee ballot, deliver it by mail or in person to the City or Township Clerk who […]

Last week I posted a piece titled, “GOP Kalamazoo County Clerk running for reelection fails to get absentee ballots out in time in violation of federal law“. In the piece, which was based on reporting by WMMT, I essentially blamed Kalamazoo County Clerk Tim Snow’s ineptness for his not getting absentee ballots out on time as required by federal law. […]

NOTE: This post has been updated HERE based on the featured comment below by Washtenaw County Clerk and Register of Deeds Lawrence Kestenbaum. Based on what I learned from Clerk Kestenbaum, Kalamazoo Clerk Tim Snow is NOT the responsible party for the lateness of absentee ballots being mailed. This is a direct result of Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette’s useless effort to stop straight ticket voting in our state. I apologize to Clerk Snow and regret the error.

This week the Republicans in the Michigan House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 13, a bill that would eliminate the option of straight-ticket voting on Michigan ballots. While they claim it’s to make us all “more responsible” voters, the obvious intent is to make it just that more difficult to vote in Michigan. In fact, Progress Michigan recently showed how […]