Insider Intelligence

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced that all registered voters in Michigan will receive an application to vote by mail in the August and November elections. Of the 7.7 million registered voters in the state, about 1.3 million are on the permanent absent voter list, and their local election clerk mails them applications ahead of […]

The May 5 election had a record-breaking turnout for the approximately 50 elections, which were held in 33 counties and 200 municipalities. Nearly 25% of eligible voters cast their ballot, 99% of those choosing to vote via an absentee ballot. Average turnout for local May elections is around 12% and the previous turnout record was […]

Traditionally, a voter must request an absentee voter ballot application, however, due to COVID-19 Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced her office will mail an application to voters for the upcoming May 5 election, without a request.  Following weeks of discussions between Secretary Benson and local clerks, several clerks have postponed items that would have […]

The House Elections and Ethics Committee reported legislation aimed at streamlining the process for voters to request absentee ballots. Under the legislation introduced by Representative Brad Paquette (R-Niles), local election clerks could choose to send out absentee ballot applications that allow voters to request ballots for all elections in a calendar year. Currently, a clerk […]

Every ten years, on the heels of the U.S. Census numbers being finalized, all of the state’s legislative and congressional districts are redrawn to be more representative of the shift in population.  These districts remain in place until the next census in ten years. The drawing of districts in Michigan has always been viewed as […]

The first 1,000 completed and notarized applications to serve on the first-ever Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission have been received and processed by the Michigan Department of State. The commission of 13 randomly selected applicants will have exclusive authority to adopt boundaries in Michigan for the State Senate, State House, and U.S. Congress. It was […]

This week, the Michigan House and Senate filed two lawsuits against Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson for refusing to follow the 2018 petition initiative law that Attorney General Dana Nessel declared unconstitutional through an official opinion. The 2018 law, passed by the legislature and approved by former Governor Rick Snyder, required that not more than […]

A settlement has been reached in a lawsuit brought on behalf of student voting groups last year. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced the steps her office will take to help promote participation among college-age voters, resolving the lawsuit. The groups filed a lawsuit against the previous secretary of state in August 2018, challenging the […]