(WWJ) All registered voters in Michigan will receive applications to vote by mail in the August and November elections.
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said by mailing applications, her office will ensure that Michigander do not have to choose between their health and their right to vote.
"While we know that in August, September, we may hopefully be in a different scenario health-wise with this pandemic, we wanted to ensure that regardless of what situation we may be in then that every citizen in our state felt confident that they could choose to vote by mail, and they have the right to do so," Benson told WWJ's Beth Fisher.
Benson said they already did it for elections in May.
"Michigan citizens want to vote, even in the midst of a pandemic, and they want to do so or have the choice to do so by mail," Benson said. "And those May elections, 99% of those who participated voted by mail."
Due to a constitutional amendment passed by a vote of 66.8% by Michiganders in 2018, all eligible and registered voters in Michigan may choose to vote absentee without providing a reason.
"While we know that in August, September, we may hopefully be in a different scenario health-wise with this pandemic, we wanted to ensure that regardless of what situation we may be in then that every citizen in our state felt confident that they could choose to vote by mail, and they have the right to do so."
This comes as some Republicans, including President Donald Trump, have argued against widespread voting by mail.
On April 8, Trump tweeted: "Republicans should fight very hard when it comes to state wide mail-in voting. Democrats are clamoring for it. Tremendous potential for voter fraud, and for whatever reason, (it) doesn't work out well for Republicans."
Benson, however, says there is no evidence of one political party gaining an advantage with absentee ballots; and in other states, she said, elections officers from both parties are doing it. And, according to FactCheck.org — a nonpartisan, nonprofit advocate for voters — there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud due to absentee voting.
Does Benson expect a lawsuit from Republicans over this?
"Anything is possible," Benson said. "But I feel very strongly as the chief election officer in the state of Michigan, we have the legal responsibility, if not also the authority, to education citizens about how to exercise their right to vote; and that's simply what we're doing with this."
In case you overlook the one that comes in the mail, you can download an absent voter ballot application at Michigan.gov/Vote.
