Election Security in Michigan

Election Security

Election Security

  • Hero

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

Election Security Advisory Commission

Absent voter application mailing improves the state voter list

  • Election Security Advisory Commission,/span>

    Secretary Benson appointed an Election Security Advisory Commission in March 2019 to recommend reforms and strategies for ensuring the security of elections in Michigan.

    Members included local officials, election specialists and national experts in technology and data security.  They assessed Michigan’s voter registration system and data, the process of voting and transmission of election results. The commission held hearings inviting input from citizens and experts on election problems and security and developed a set of recommended reforms and actions, many of which have already been executed.

Absent voter application mailing improves the state voter list

Election Bulletin

  • Election Bulletin

    By mailing applications to vote by mail (absentee) to all voters on the voter registration list, the state is advancing the multi-year process required by federal law to clean the list. 

    If a person receives an application that is addressed to someone who no longer lives in their residence or is deceased, they are advised to mark the envelope as such and place it back in the mail so that the process of updating the registration list continues. In this way, the statewide mailing of applications will improve the voter list, as election clerks will be able to use mail that has been returned to clean the registration list following the appropriate verification and waiting period.

    It is important to note that mailed applications that are submitted must have a signature that matches the signature on the registration list to be considered valid and prompt the mailing of an actual ballot (subsequently, ballot envelopes must also be signed with matching signatures). Forging someone else’s signature on an application and submitting it to receive a ballot is a crime, often prosecuted as a felony. It is rarely attempted. The mailing of applications by the government does not make it easier to commit such a crime, as the applications are also mailed by both political parties and many other organizations ahead of most elections. For years, the application form has also been freely available online for download.

Misinformation and False Information

Misinformation and False Information

  • Misinfo

    This year, perhaps more than any other, voters will be inundated by efforts to confuse them – about the election process, their rights, and the issues at stake. These efforts – be they foreign, domestic, partisan, or simply malicious – are designed to sow mistrust in our elections process and are antithetical to a healthy democracy.

    Fighting back against them is critical to ensuring our elections are a secure and accurate reflection of the will of the people. 

    • Voters must be vigilant against any and all attempts to “hack” their minds with scare tactics and other attempts to lessen their faith or confidence in our elections. They must proactively seek out reliable sources of information and encourage productive dialogue.
    • Election officials must be positioned to detect misinformation and to quickly provide correct, accurate information in real time and across all media. This requires cooperation and advance planning between state and local public officials and non-government entities.

    See an example of election misinformation