Absentee voters are likely to make a big difference in an election marked by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Masks aren’t required but are encouraged, and there will be plenty of hand sanitizer at polling places. Here’s what else to expect.
2020 Michigan election
Posted inMichigan Government
Postal delays could cause trouble for Michigan’s primary election
Michigan clerks report complaints about long waits for absentee ballots, as voters rush to vote by mail amid the coronavirus pandemic. Pro tip: Drop your ballot off now rather than mailing it if you want it to count for Tuesday.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan Aug. 4 primary election: What you need to know to vote
Anyone can vote absentee for any reason and you can register to vote up to and on Election Day.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan Right to Life scraps abortion ban ballot drive
The anti-abortion group acknowledges defeat in a failed ballot drive, after facing the highest signature-gathering hurdle in decades.
Posted inGuest Commentary
Opinion | Now is not the time for sweeping changes in how Michigan votes
The 2020 presidential election is not the time to radically change how Michigan votes, says a Republican legislator.
Posted inMichigan Government
Whitmer tightens Michigan’s mask order but makes it optional when voting
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer tightened her COVID-19 mask mandate on Friday in an attempt to coax compliance by reluctant businesses, saying they cannot “assume” someone without a mask is exempt because of a medical condition.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan GOP lawmakers claim Jocelyn Benson’s absentee ballot mailings illegal
Former Secretary of State Ruth Johnson brings local clerks to Lansing who claim her successor is ‘throwing spaghetti at the wall’ with experiments during an election year. Democrats denounce the hearing as political theater and nonsense.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan Right to Life abortion ban may fall short on signatures
Right to Life of Michigan did not collect enough valid voter signatures to advance an initiative proposing to ban a common second-trimester abortion procedure, according to new estimates from the state Bureau of Elections.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan gay rights proposal off fall ballot; ruling opens door for 2022
A judge ordered Michigan to give the Fair and Equal Michigan ballot committee 69 additional days to collect signatures, mirroring the duration of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s stay-at-home order that was lifted June 1. That means the group will not complete its petition drive to qualify for the 2020 ballot and will aim for the 2022 ballot instead.
Posted inMichigan Government
Lawsuit: Jocelyn Benson allowing ‘suspiciously high’ voter registration rates
A conservative activist sues Michigan’s top elections officials, alleging that 16 of the state’s 83 counties have registration rates of more than 90 percent of eligible voters. A state spokesperson calls the suit a publicity stunt.