ALLEGAN, MI (WHTC-AM/FM) – The question of whether county clerks in Michigan should get more time to count absentee ballots in the wake of last year’s passage of Proposal 3 may be debated soon in the legislature.
The issue came to light in a series of reports last week that indicated an expected increase in such voting could lead to delays in tabulating results. These reports are bolstering First-term Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s efforts in pushing lawmakers to allow county clerks to begin counting absentee ballots before Election Day, something she has been doing since shortly after she took office in January.
However, not all county clerks believe that they need more time to count these votes, and according to Allegan County Clerk Bob Genetski, Benson has a more political angle to her argument. “One, it doesn’t need to be done,” the Saugatuck Republican explained during a Friday appearance on “WHTC Talk of the Town.” “Two, she’s pushing activism and has been pushing it from day one in office.
“I’m not fond of where she’s going with all this. What progressives such as Benson really want to do is to have one of those strung-out elections like they do in Oregon, where you can mail in your over a month-long span, and activists and union members can come track you down at your house if your ballot hasn’t been received yet, and influence you or ‘help you’ fill that in.”
Benson’s predecessor as Secretary of State, current state Senate Elections Committee Chairwoman Ruth Johnson of Holly, told M-Live that she is not in favor of such an extension of the current absentee ballot laws.
