LANSING – House Democrats today voted for a comprehensive plan to make it easier for Michigan troops stationed overseas to vote by absentee ballot and to help ensure their ballots are returned in time to be counted. The plan, sponsored by State Representatives Jennifer Haase (D-Richmond) and Vincent Gregory (D-Southfield), is now set to be signed into law.
"There's no excuse for not providing enough time for our troops stationed overseas to vote, especially considering the fact that they're risking their lives to protect our freedoms," said Gregory. "It's completely unacceptable that one in four ballots sent overseas are not returned in time. We've got the technology to right this wrong and a duty to our troops to collect these ballots and protect the rights of all our voters."
More than a quarter of the ballots requested by U.S. military members stationed abroad and other American voters overseas went uncollected or uncounted in the 2008 presidential election, according to Congressional Research Services. In Michigan, of the nearly 21,300 ballots sent, only 15,407 were returned within the deadline to be counted.
The plan will help ensure that Michigan military personnel and citizens living overseas can vote in time by:
- Allowing for fast, e-mail transmission of absentee ballots to service members stationed overseas. Service members can print them, fill them out and mail them back to their local clerk.
- Requiring all absentee ballots to be delivered to clerks for distribution at least 45 days in advance of all elections.
- Giving local governments more time to print out ballots in order to send them to military personnel.
Thirty-two other states already allow the electronic transmission of absentee ballots to voters.
"The brave men and women in our armed forces risk their lives to protect our freedoms – we owe it to them to ensure their votes are counted," Haase said. "Our voting process is one of the pillars of our nation that our troops make countless sacrifices to defend. This plan will ensure that Michigan citizens stationed overseas have their voices heard."
