Here's Why Over 15,000 Absentee Ballots Were Rejected In Michigan

MICHIGAN — Ballots arriving after 8 p.m. on Election Day and ballots arriving to clerks without signatures were among common reasons Michigan clerks rejected over 15,000 absentee ballots during the Nov. 3 general election in Michigan.

In all, more than 15,000 absentee ballots were rejected for a variety of reasons recorded by election clerks, something Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said is a sign that Michigan's general election was held with integrity.

“I am extremely proud of the 1,600 clerks across the state who embraced the record setting turnout including more than double the number of absentee ballots ever cast in a Michigan election and vigilantly ensured that all valid ballots were counted,” Benson said. “It is also gratifying that our voter education efforts, alongside those of countless other nonpartisan organizations, in addition to the installation of secure ballot drop boxes across the state, combined to dramatically reduce the rate of voter disenfranchisement due to late submission and signature errors.”

The 15,300 rejected ballots make up about .46 percent of the 3.3 million absentee ballots returned in Michigan, Benson said. That number is compared to 10,600 rejected ballots in the August primary election.

Benson said the rate of rejection for signature issues fell from August to November, from 0.14 percent to 0.1 percent. The number of ballots that arrived after the deadline of 8 p.m. on Election Day also dropped, from 6,400 in August to 3,300 in November.

Below is a breakdown of how many ballots were rejected and for what reason: