APRIL 15, 2010

Bills allow some absent voter ballots to be sent electronically

Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land today commended the Legislature for acting promptly passing bills improving voting opportunities for military and civilian voters outside of the United States.

"I encourage the governor to sign these bills swiftly," said Land, Michigan's chief elections officer. "They ensure members of our military and overseas voters will have a full opportunity to vote. Ballots will arrive more quickly, allowing voters to fill them out and return them in a timely fashion so that they are counted on Election Day."

The bills ensure that Michigan law conforms to federal requirements and applies them to all elections, not just federal elections. The federal law is known as the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act and it was signed Oct. 22, 2009.

Under the state legislation, uniformed services voters, their spouses or dependents away from their jurisdiction of residence and voters living overseas can request that an absent voter ballot be transmitted electronically for immediate delivery. Local clerks would be required to send the ballot at least 45 days before the election. Voters would then return the ballots by mail.

In addition, under recently signed legislation, county clerks would be required to deliver absent voter ballots to local clerks at least 45 days before all elections. Previously this deadline was followed for federal elections only and clerks sending out absent voter ballots for other elections did so at least 20 days before the election.

For more information on Michigan's elections, visit www.Michigan.gov/sos.