Signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to amend and pass a bill that authorizes County Clerks in cities with over 25,000 residents to begin processing absentee ballots the day before an election.

Highlights:

• Authorizes city clerks in cities with a population of at least 25,000 to pre-process absentee ballots between the hours of 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. on the day before election day (Sec. 765).

• Requires city clerks of qualifying cities that intend to pre-process absentee ballots to provide written notice to the secretary of state at least 20 days before election day that includes the location and hours that the absent voter ballot return envelopes will be pre-processed (Sec. 1).

• Requires at least one election inspector from each major political party to be present during pre-processing (Sec. 765).

• Specifies that city clerks are only authorized to open absent voter ballot secrecy envelopes and are not authorized to remove absent voter ballots from the envelopes (Sec. 765).

• Requires opened absent voter ballot return envelopes to be stored, secured, and sealed in an absent voter ballot secrecy envelope container until election day (Sec. 765). 

• Authorizes city clerks to procure, at the expense of the respective city, absent voter ballot secrecy envelope containers to store and secure absent voter ballot secrecy envelopes that are pre-processed on the day before election day (Sec. 24k).

• Requires such absent voter ballot secrecy envelope containers to meet the following criteria (Sec. 24k): 

• Be made of a material that provides resistance to tampering;

• Be capable of being sealed;

• Be approved by the secretary of state; and 

• Be examined by the board of county canvassers before October 1, 2020. 

• Specifies that city clerks who use or permit use of an absent voter ballot secrecy envelope container that is not approved under this section are guilty of a misdemeanor (Sec. 24k).

• Requires election inspectors to record the following information in the poll book (Sec. 765):

• The number of absent voter ballot return envelopes opened on the day before election day;

• The number of absent voter ballot return envelopes that did not contain an elector’s signature and were returned to the city clerk; and

• The number of absent voter ballot return envelopes that were challenged and set aside to be processed on election day.

• Requires the secretary of state to provide a written report no later than March 1, 2021 with information including, but not limited to: 

• The number of cities that performed absent voter ballot pre-processing;

• The total number of absent voter ballot return envelopes that were opened on the day before election day;

• The total number of absent voter ballot return envelopes that did not contain an elector’s signature and were returned to the city clerk;

• The total number of absent voter ballot return envelopes that were challenged and set aside to be processed on election day; and

• The total number of absent voter ballot secrecy envelopes that were stored in an absent voter ballot secrecy container.

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes County Clerks in cities with over 25,000 residents to begin processing absentee ballots the day before an election.

Highlights:

• Authorizes city clerks in cities with a population of at least 25,000 to pre-process absentee ballots between the hours of 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. on the day before election day (Sec. 765).

• Requires city clerks of qualifying cities that intend to pre-process absentee ballots to provide written notice to the secretary of state at least 20 days before election day that includes the location and hours that the absent voter ballot return envelopes will be pre-processed (Sec. 1).

• Requires at least one election inspector from each major political party to be present during pre-processing (Sec. 765).

• Specifies that city clerks are only authorized to open absent voter ballot secrecy envelopes and are not authorized to remove absent voter ballots from the envelopes (Sec. 765).

• Requires opened absent voter ballot return envelopes to be stored, secured, and sealed in an absent voter ballot secrecy envelope container until election day (Sec. 765). 

• Authorizes city clerks to procure, at the expense of the respective city, absent voter ballot secrecy envelope containers to store and secure absent voter ballot secrecy envelopes that are pre-processed on the day before election day (Sec. 24k).

• Requires such absent voter ballot secrecy envelope containers to meet the following criteria (Sec. 24k): 

• Be made of a material that provides resistance to tampering;

• Be capable of being sealed;

• Be approved by the secretary of state; and 

• Be examined by the board of county canvassers before October 1, 2020. 

• Specifies that city clerks who use or permit use of an absent voter ballot secrecy envelope container that is not approved under this section are guilty of a misdemeanor (Sec. 24k).

• Requires election inspectors to record the following information in the poll book (Sec. 765):

• The number of absent voter ballot return envelopes opened on the day before election day;

• The number of absent voter ballot return envelopes that did not contain an elector’s signature and were returned to the city clerk; and

• The number of absent voter ballot return envelopes that were challenged and set aside to be processed on election day.

• Requires the secretary of state to provide a written report no later than March 1, 2021 with information including, but not limited to: 

• The number of cities that performed absent voter ballot pre-processing;

• The total number of absent voter ballot return envelopes that were opened on the day before election day;

• The total number of absent voter ballot return envelopes that did not contain an elector’s signature and were returned to the city clerk;

• The total number of absent voter ballot return envelopes that were challenged and set aside to be processed on election day; and

• The total number of absent voter ballot secrecy envelopes that were stored in an absent voter ballot secrecy container.

Full Bill Text