SE Grand Rapids News

Chair of the House Elections Committee Rep. Julie Calley (R-Portland) said that the office of Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson overstepped in late March when absentee ballots were mailed to registered voters before the withdrawal deadline for the May 5 election.

Previously, Benson advised communities and school districts that they had until March 27 to withdraw ballot proposals from the ballot being voted on in May.

Local clerks contacted legislators with concerns after receiving prepaid return envelopes. Every voter in the municipalities received the envelope whether or not they requested it.

“The Secretary of State is making decisions that waste taxpayer dollars and create unnecessary confusion for voters and clerks,” Calley said in a March press release. “...Many have questioned whether she has the legal authority to send AV applications to all the voters in the state. At the very least, the Secretary of State’s actions are premature. She mailed applications to people in jurisdictions that may very well decide to take the initiatives off their May ballots and push them back to August or November.” 

Benson said that she was releasing the absentee ballots for public health reasons. She said that the ballots included a letter that explained that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, voting by mail was the preferred method of voting.

"We are working to ensure the health and safety guidelines of our state and federal government are followed in the lead up to and administration of the May 5 election," Benson said, according to FOX 2 Detroit. "This includes working to recruit election workers to serve in all jurisdictions and providing hygiene supplies and explicit guidance on how to process absent-voter ballots and carry out other election duties while observing strict health precautions."

Close to a million residents previously requested absentee ballots before the election.