WHAT BERRIEN COUNTY VOTERS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE ABSENTEE VOTING PROCESS

By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent

ST. JOSEPH – Like everything else this year, elections could look different in this time of COVID. Area clerks are already preparing for the Nov. 3 election and what could be unprecedented number of absentee ballots.

They’ve also had a trial run at working through problems in the August primary election. In Berrien County, 35,716 people voted in August with many of them, 22,538, voting absentee. The county has more than 128,000 registered voters and she expects 60,000 or more vote in November.

Information provided by the Berrien Cass County League of Women Voters gave similar information. Statewide, they said there was a significant increase in absentee voting with 60 percent of people voting absentee and 40 percent voting in person.

Berrien County Clerk Sharon Tyler told the Berrien County Record

last week that there a number of things people should know as they prepare to vote this November. State proposals approved by voters in 2018 now allow all registered voters to vote absentee without giving a reason and also to register to vote on Election Day.

Tyler said the last day for people to register to vote in any manner other than in-person with their local clerk is Monday, Oct. 19. People can register to vote up to and including on the day of the election with their local clerk, but not in the precinct where they vote.

Places where people can register to vote before the Oct. 19 deadline include their local city or township clerk’s office, the county clerk and secretary of state branches. People can also obtain registration forms at their city/township offices or at michigan.gov/vote. Those already registered can check or update their information at www.expressSOS.com.

As for absentee voting, Tyler said requests for absentee ballots must be received by local clerks by 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30. If people are already registered at their current address, they can pick up an absentee ballot in person at their clerk’s office before 4 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2.

Those registering to vote or updating their address on Election Day can request an absentee ballot at the same time. If people do that on either Election Day or the day before must vote the ballot in the clerk’s office, she said.

Tyler also had advice for those planning to vote absentee and who may be concerned about putting their ballots in the mail. People who want to make sure their ballot gets there in time are encouraged to return their ballots in person to their local clerk.

“Most clerk’s offices provide secure drop boxes to return ballots if a voter is unable to drop it off during normal business hours,” she added. “Voters must only use the drop box in their local jurisdiction and not in the County’s drop box.”

“People have until 8 p.m. on Election Day to complete the ballot and return it to the clerk’s office,” she said. “The voter must sign the return ballot envelope before returning it to the clerk. A ballot will not be counted unless the signature on the return envelope matches the voter’s signature on file with the local clerk.”

There are also provisions for those who have already voted absentee but want to change their vote. Tyler said people can spoil their ballot by submitting a written request to their local clerk. The request must be signed and state that they either want another absentee ballot or will vote at the polls.

Such a written request must be received by 2 p.m. the Saturday before the election. People can spoil their ballot in person at their clerk’s office until 4 p.m. the Monday prior to the election. They can then get another absentee ballot or vote in person at the polls on Tuesday. Absentee ballots cannot be spoiled on Election Day.

Tyler said the August primary election went well overall. “In the August election, the main glitch was the humidity affecting the paper ballot which created issues with our tabulators,” she said. “We will have our election equipment vendor be available again in our area to assist our local municipalities with any election equipment issues, and I believe we found a better grade of paper that can withstand the humidity and our tabulators.”

As for when people can expect to see results, she noted that November elections during a Presidential election year usually see a larger turnout. “Due to the larger turnout in voters, the pandemic, the promoting of absentee voting and the unknown weather Michigan may have that day, the results from our local municipalities will create a long election day for all the results to be in,” she said.

“I expect, we will start receiving elections results around 9:00 P.M. on Election Day and the County Clerk’s office will be still in our office finalizing paperwork for the State until Wednesday, November 4^th around 3:00 A.M. or later due to the larger volume of voters,” she said.

Tyler said that if people have questions on how to find their local clerk, where to vote, or to download an absentee ballot application, they can go to Michigan.gov/Vote or go to the Berrien County’s website: berriencounty.org and go to the Clerk’s department under elections.