(WXYZ) — It's election day and clerks expect it to be unlike any other in the state's history.
The COVID-19 pandemic has the Secretary of State urging voters to cast their absentee ballot.
The Michigan Department of State says absentee voters should bring their completed ballots to their clerk’s office and should not put them in the mail on Election Day.
Absentee voters have until 8 p.m. today to complete their ballot and return it to their clerk’s office. More information at https://t.co/ADbpFJrMUd.
— Michigan Department of State (@MichSoS) May 5, 2020
The law allowing anyone to vote absentee for any reason couldn't come in handy at a better time. And the state says, so far, the numbers of ballots cast has been greater than usual for a May election.
"In times of crisis, the ability to ensure that our citizens are able to hold their elected officials accountable and weigh in on issues critical to their local communities is all the more important," said Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
Benson says the state of Michigan mailed 740,000 absentee ballots to registered voters, in an effort for them to have their voice heard while avoiding the spread of COVID-19.
A small number of polling locations will be open if people want to vote in person.
"We are prepared we do protect ourselves, we have masks gloves hand sanitizer wipes," said Warren City Clerk Sanja Buffa. "The state was really gracious with that and they sent us the wipes all the PPE stuff last week."
"Even in times of great uncertainty, people want to vote, and they want to weigh in on important issues," said Secretary Benson.
Issues on the ballot include: bonds and school millages. To ensure integrity of the voting process, clerks will depend on voter signatures stored in the system.
"In the qualified voter file system, there is a signature on file, and we compare that also to make sure that the same person is the person in fact voting," said Garden City Clerk Matthew Miller.
If you rather vote the traditional way, in person, you're advised to contact your local clerk ahead of time.
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