Michigan Secretary Of State Benson Proposes Election Reforms

LANSING, MI — Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson on Monday called for election reforms, including more time to process absentee ballots and a continuation of mailing absentee ballot applications in future elections.

Benson said Monday that election reform was necessary in order to improve election equity and security. She also included

“Michigan voters want elections to be accessible, strong and secure," Benson said. "We saw this in 2018 when voters enshrined expanded voting rights in our state constitution, and again in 2020 when record numbers of voters exercised their new rights. Our job now is clear: to defend and protect democracy by ensuring that no matter how one votes, who they vote for, where they live, or what they look like, their vote will be counted.”

Benson announced a series of initiatives in her Advancing the Vote, Protecting Democracy plan, which she said is designed to ensure equitable access for voters while also strengthening the state's election infrastructure and guaranteeing election security.

Of her proposals in the plan, Benson touched on requiring absentee ballot applications be mailed to registered voters every federal election cycle; establish an early in-person voting period; making Election Day a state holiday to facilitate voting for everyone. She said two weeks should be allotted for clerks to process absentee ballots, said firearms should be prohibited around polling locations and said a statewide election audit should be conducted prior to results being certified.

>>> A full breakdown of her proposals can be viewed here.

Benson's idea of mailing absentee ballot applications to registered voters was a hot topic leading up to the 2020 General Election. It was met with scrutiny from then-President Donald Trump, who mistakenly said the state was mailing absentee ballots to voters and called it "voter fraud."

"Breaking: Michigan sends absentee ballots to 7.7 million people ahead of Primaries and the General Election," Trump tweeted at the time. "This was done illegally and without authorization by a rogue Secretary of State. I will ask to hold up funding to Michigan if they want to go down this Voter Fraud path!.."

Benson responded with an official statement shortly after Trump's remarks, before responding to him on social media at the beginning of what was a back-and-forth between the two that last throughout most of the election season.

"The Bureau of Elections is mailing absent voter applications, not ballots," the statement said. "Applications are mailed nearly every election cycle by both major parties and countless advocacy and nonpartisan organizations. Just like them, we have full authority to mail applications to ensure voters know they have the right to vote safely by mail."

Benson said she was unveiling her Advancing the Vote plan on the first day of Black History Month in tribute to the many Black Americans whose sacrifice helped bring about expanded voting rights for all citizens.

“Today, we stand on the shoulders of the brave men and women who have fought for voting rights and fair elections in our country,” said Heaster Wheeler, Benson’s assistant secretary of state. “They recognized what we all know: Voting rights are civil rights, and accessible, strong and secure elections benefit every Michigan community and every Michigan citizen.”