MASON, Mich. — Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum called today for voters to mail their absentee ballots soon, to prevent postal service delays.
“While the Post Office has been generally reliable for Ingham County residents, and what few issues we have heard about in southern Ingham County have been addressed, it is my belief that it is better to be safe than sorry when returning voted ballots to local clerks,” Byrum stated. “The election is less than two weeks away and I encourage everyone not to procrastinate, as your ballot must arrive at your local clerk’s office by Election Day. Any ballots that arrive after Election Day will not be counted as prohibited by law.”
Byrum indicated that the volume of mail-in ballots has increased significantly. As of July 21st, nearly 25,000 absentee ballots have been received by local clerks in Ingham County. In the August 2018 Primary Election, there were only 20,000 absentee ballots cast through Election Day in the County.
“Ingham County is on pace to have two and half times more absentee ballots voted than we had in the August Primary Election two years ago,” said Byrum. “When the voters passed Proposal 3 in 2018 to expand mail-in voting to anyone without having to provide a reason, this is just what they had in mind.”
In addition to mailing in their ballots, voters in most jurisdictions may drop their ballots off directly with their local clerks or in their local clerk’s drop box locations. Voters may also opt to exercise their right to vote in person at their polling location on Election Day.
“The goal of Proposal 3 was to increase voter participation by providing a flexible process where any voter can choose to vote in person or by mail, whichever is easier for them,” she said. “As County Clerk, my mission is to ensure that however you choose to vote, it can be done safely and securely. With the state of the pandemic, I am recommending that voters cast their ballot and get it to their local clerk as quickly as possible so that it does not get caught in the mail.”
Those looking for contact information for their local clerk to find out about drop box information and open office hours can find that information here [cms3.revize.com].
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