A recent decision made by the elections clerk in Michigan's third-largest city, Warren, has sparked concerns about a potential slowdown in reporting election night results in Macomb County. The county is a key target for both presidential campaigns and is home to a competitive congressional race.
The city clerk of Warren, who oversees elections in the city, has chosen not to utilize a new state law that permits election offices to begin processing mail-in ballots before Election Day. This law, which the majority of voting jurisdictions in Michigan are taking advantage of, allows for the verification of signatures and other identifying information to start eight days early.
The city clerk, Sonja Djurovic Buffa, explained that due to various changes affecting election administrators this year, such as expanded early voting, she opted to process mail-in ballots on Election Day as her office has traditionally done. Buffa emphasized the importance of accuracy in the election process and suggested that processing ballots simultaneously on Election Day is more efficient, while also preventing the possibility of early result leaks.
Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini expressed disappointment with Buffa's decision, noting that it could delay the reporting of unofficial results on election night. With races expected to be closely contested, timely reporting of results is crucial for both Michigan residents and observers nationwide.
Macomb County, a suburban Detroit area, holds significance in statewide elections and includes part of Michigan's 10th Congressional District, where a competitive rematch between incumbent John James and Democratic challenger Carl Marlinga will be decided.
While the deadline has passed for clerks to notify the Secretary of State's office regarding the preprocessing of absentee ballots, it was revealed that 245 municipalities are taking advantage of the new law allowing early processing. Notably, all of the top 15 largest jurisdictions, except Warren, have opted to preprocess absentee ballots.
Officials like Michael Siegrist, clerk in Canton Township, highlighted that the decision not to process mail-in ballots ahead of time in densely populated areas could lead to longer waits for election results. Siegrist also cautioned against the desire for immediate results on election night, as it may fuel misinformation and impede the public's understanding of the electoral process.
