<div class="RichTextArticleBody"> <div class="RichTextArticleBody-body"><p>Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is seeking election workers to support elections during the COVID-19 crisis.</p><p>The local elections on May 5 will be conducted primarily by mail, Benson says, but workers are needed to process and count ballots and staff clerk offices.</p><p>“Elections are the foundation of our democracy, and our nation has a long history of holding them even in times of crisis and uncertainty,” said Benson. “All election work will be done in strict adherence to the protocols to prevent coronavirus transmission, including exercising social distancing, using sanitary equipment, and maintaining strong hygiene.”</p><p>Some clerks said many of the election workers that have worked in the past are seniors and not willing to do so in May due to increased vulnerability to COVID-19.</p><p>Benson is seeking to fill places with less vulnerable workers. Her administration is reaching out to large employers, colleges and sports teams.</p><p>Local elections are not taking place in all jurisdictions in May. Many elections with questions slated for the May ballot were postponed to August. Others could not postpone, often because school funding would expire this summer.</p><p>Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued a recent executive order that will close all but one polling place, typically the clerk's office, in each election jurisdiction. </p><p>The Department of State will mail absentee ballot applications to all registered voters, and all new registrations will be treated like an absentee ballot application.</p><p>Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
Click here for a page with resources including a COVID-19 overview from the CDC, details on cases in Michigan, a timeline of Governor Gretchen Whitmer's orders since the outbreak, coronavirus' impact on Southeast Michigan, and links to more information from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC and the WHO.
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
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See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.
