May 17, 2001

Secretary of State Candice S. Miller today presented state lawmakers with a comprehensive report on uniform voting equipment in Michigan that calls on them to fund a program to phase-in a statewide optical scan voting system employing precinct-based tabulation technology.

Additionally, the state’s chief elections officer recommended that state lawmakers enact legislation for "early voting," which would allow voting to begin up to 14 days before an election.

"Uniform voting equipment in every precinct would have many advantages, including providing equal protection for every voter," Secretary Miller said today. "Michigan is recognized as a national leader in conducting elections and if we are to maintain our tradition of excellence, we must ensure that every voter is treated equally and uniformity is the key."

Secretary Miller explained that a statewide uniform voting system would have several advantages including:

• All voters would enjoy "equal protection" against ballot spoilage. As a result, "voter falloff" would be reduced throughout the state.
• A cost savings could be realized from the large-scale purchase of voting equipment, service contracts and ballots.
• The education of voters – and future voters – on the procedures for casting a ballot and the training of precinct inspectors would be facilitated as only one voting process would be involved.

Secretary Miller noted that after considering the various voting systems that are available, she is recommending that the state adopt an optical scan voting system. Among its advantages are the following:

• Because Michigan is already in the process of moving toward optical scan voting systems, it will cost far less to adopt a statewide optical scan system.
• Optical scan voting technology is flexible enough to accommodate both "onsite voting" in the polling place and any expanded absentee voting programs adopted in the future.
• Voting technology selected for Michigan’s uniform voting system must be capable of supporting a statewide automated vote accumulation system. Optical scan voting technology is capable of supporting such a system.

The first year costs associated with Secretary Miller’s phased-in approach would be $14 million, which would be used to purchase equipment for jurisdictions that do not presently have optical scan equipment. Additional costs would be incurred in subsequent years to purchase new equipment to replace the optical scan voting equipment now in use that becomes outdated.

Secretary Miller estimates the total cost for implementing the statewide program to be $26.1 to $38.7 million.

Secretary Miller is also recommending that state lawmakers strengthen Michigan’s election system by:

1. Funding expanded training programs for election inspectors with state grants and state-sponsored programs designed to improve the quality of instruction offered election inspectors.
2. Developing a program that would require voters who claim to be registered to vote but who cannot be found on the registration rolls to vote a "provisional ballot." Under the proposed program, any "provisional ballot" voted on election day would not be counted unless it was later confirmed that the voter did, in fact, register to vote before the registration deadline for the election at hand.