Michigan voters are growing concerned after election clerks in several communities missed a state deadline to send out absentee ballots, leaving some residents still waiting for theirs to arrive. With the November election drawing closer, the delays are already prompting some voters to rethink relying on the mail altogether.
According to Votebeat, Michigan law requires absentee ballots to be sent to voters at least 40 days before an election, making September 24 the deadline for this year’s midterms. However, officials confirmed that voters in Antrim and Presque Isle counties were still waiting days later, while several other communities also missed the deadline before eventually getting their ballots in the mail.
Election officials have pointed to an unusually tight turnaround as one reason for the delays. Michigan clerks had just 51 days between the August primary and the September deadline to prepare ballots for the general election, while only a limited number of printing companies are certified to produce them. That left clerks across the state competing to get millions of ballots printed and mailed in a relatively short window.
The pressure has understandably left some election officials frustrated as well. In Antrim County, ballots were only beginning to reach municipal clerks after the deadline had already passed, while officials in parts of Presque Isle County were also waiting. Antrim County Deputy Clerk Annette Marcus defended the effort to get ballots out as quickly as possible, telling the outlet, “I don’t know how, honestly, to get it out any faster.”
Despite the delays, most Michigan communities appear to have gotten their ballots to voters on time. State officials said missing the 40-day deadline isn’t unheard of and typically does not result in a penalty when officials have a plan to get ballots out as quickly as possible. Clerks who did miss the deadline were also instructed to notify affected voters, with many turning to social media and township pages to explain the delays.
Michigan Voters Rethink Mailing Their Ballots
The delays have left some Michigan voters questioning whether they want to rely on the postal system at all. “I don’t trust the mail anymore,” one Reddit user bluntly admitted. Another had already made alternative plans, writing, “Going in person as soon as early voting starts. Anything else feels like a risk.”
Others who had received their ballots were equally reluctant to send them back through the mail. “I just got mine a couple of days ago, but you bet your ass I’m not returning it via US mail – I’m taking it straight to the clerk’s office,” one person wrote.
Meanwhile, the concern appears to extend beyond the counties highlighted in the report. “I just remarked to my husband that I thought it was strange we hadn’t gotten our ballots yet. And I’m in SW Michigan,” one commenter shared. Another added, “Wexford too. I just checked my status … and while I can see that I’m officially on the permanent ballot list my ballot hasn’t been sent out yet.”
For residents still checking their mailboxes, though, the explanation may offer little comfort. Some have already decided they would rather take their ballot to the clerk themselves, while others plan to vote in person. That’s hardly the confidence voters should be feeling weeks before an election, and for those still waiting, getting that envelope in hand can’t come soon enough.
