Michigan Voters to Receive Vote By Mail Application for 2020 Elections
The move has cited health concerns from the coronavirus
© press
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced that every voter in Michigan would receive a vote by mail application for the upcoming August and November elections.
The move has cited health concerns from the coronavirus.
Benson said in a statement:
“By mailing applications, we have ensured that no Michigander has to choose between their health and their right to vote."
“Voting by mail is easy, convenient, safe, and secure, and every voter in Michigan has the right to do it.”
“We appreciate that some clerks are proactively protecting public health by mailing applications to all their registered voters, and we are fulfilling our responsibility to provide all voters equal access,” the Michigan official continued.
“We know from the elections that took place this month that during the pandemic, Michiganders want to safely vote.”
© press
Voters will receive a letter instructing them on how to vote by mail, requiring applicants to mail back a signed application.
Voters can also email a photo of their signature to a local election clerk.
“The vast majority of voters across the political spectrum want the option to vote by mail,” added Benson.
“Mailing applications to all registered voters is one of the ways that we are ensuring Michigan’s elections will continue to be safe, accurate, and secure.”
Out of the state’s 7.7 million registered voters, there are approximately 1.3 million voters are on the permanent absent voter list.
Earlier this month, Neon Nettle reported Democratic State Sen. Jeff Irwin introduced a new bill seeking to establish a universal vote-by-mail system in Michigan.
Irwin's proposal, Senate Bill 909, also aims to end in-person voting at precincts altogether.
The new system would mean every registered voter would be able to vote by returning their ballot through the mail or by dropping it off at a designated "drop site."
© press
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), also expanded absentee voting citing health concerns.
In May, California Governor Gavin Newsom decided to send all of its residents a mail-in ballot for the upcoming election.
President Donald Trump said the California election would be "rigged" after Newsom announced plans to send over 20 million voters a ballot in the mail.
Trump tweeted:
"So in California, the Democrats, who fought like crazy to get all mail-in only ballots, and succeeded, have just opened a voting booth in the most Democrat area in the State."
So in California, the Democrats, who fought like crazy to get all mail in only ballots, and succeeded, have just opened a voting booth in the most Democrat area in the State. They are trying to steal another election. It’s all rigged out there. These votes must not count. SCAM!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 9, 2020
Tim Murtaugh, Trump's campaign communications director, said the decision was a "thinly-veiled political tactic” to “undermine” election security.
“There’s a vast difference between people voting absentee by mail because they can’t be at the poll on Election Day versus mailing everyone a ballot – even those who didn’t request one – is a wide-open opportunity for fraud,” Murtaugh said.
“California has a bad record on ensuring that people on the voter rolls still live at the same address, still reside in California, or are even still alive. Everyone is concerned about the safety of voters, but jeopardizing election security is the wrong way to go about it.”
