Processing, counting, and challenging absentee/mail-in ballots in Michigan, 2020

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In August 2020, The New York Times estimated that 80 million Americans would vote by absentee/mail-in ballot in November 2020. That would have been more than double the number who did so in November 2016. The processes states use to count absentee/mail-in ballots have come under closer inspection by state officials, candidates, political parties, and the media.

This article describes the rules in Michigan for processing, counting, and rejecting absentee/mail-in ballots in effect for the November 2020 election. It includes:

• How ballots are processed and counted
• Whether ballots can be challenged
• Conditions for rejecting a ballot
• Whether voters can correct mistakes on a ballot

The 2020 election took place against a backdrop of uncertainty. Our readers had questions about what to expect in elections at all levels of government, from the casting of ballots to the certification of final results. Ballotpedia's 2020 Election Help Desk was designed to answer those questions.

Processing and counting ballots

See also: When states can begin processing and counting absentee/mail-in ballots, 2020

Upon receiving completed absentee/mail-in ballots, election officials must first process the ballots before they can be counted. Processing generally entails verifying voter signatures and physically preparing ballots for tabulation. Processing practices can vary widely from state to state. Counting entails the actual tabulation of votes.

The table below highlights key dates and deadlines related to absentee/mail-in voting in Michigan for the November 2020 election.

Absentee voting in Michigan: Nov. 3, 2020, election.

Were there limits on who can request a ballot?

No

What was the deadline for requesting a ballot by mail?

Oct. 30, 2020

Was the request deadline a postmark or receipt deadline?

Received

What was the deadline for returning a voted ballot by mail?

Nov. 3, 2020

Was the return deadline a postmark or receipt deadline?

Received

Were there notary or witness requirements?

No requirement

Processing ballots

Officials in Michigan began processing absentee/mail-in ballots on November 3, 2020. As of November 2020, Michigan law included the following provision for processing absentee/mail-in ballots:

“

(1) Upon receipt from the city or township clerk of any envelope containing the marked ballot or ballots of an absent voter, the board of inspectors of election shall verify the legality of the vote by doing both of the following: (a) Examining the digitized signature for the absent voter included in the qualified voter file under section 509q or the registration record as provided in subsection (2) to see that the person has not voted in person, that he or she is a registered voter, and that the signature on the statement agrees with the signature on the registration record. (b) Examining the statement of the voter to see that it is properly executed. (2) The qualified voter file must be used to determine the genuineness of a signature on an envelope containing an absent voter ballot. Signature comparisons must be made with the digitized signature in the qualified voter file. If the qualified voter file does not contain a digitized signature of an elector, or is not accessible to the clerk, the city or township clerk shall compare the signature appearing on an envelope containing an absent voter ballot to the signature contained on the master card.

”

See law: Mich. Comp. Laws Section 168.766

Counting ballots

Officials in Michigan began counting absentee/mail-in ballots on November 3, 2020. As of November 2020, Michigan law included the following provision for counting absentee/mail-in ballots:

“

(1) Absentee votes may be cast on paper ballots or ballot cards or both. Absent voter ballots may be counted in the various voting precincts or may be counted by absent voter counting boards. Absentee votes cast on paper ballots may be recorded by election inspectors on ballot cards for counting by tabulating equipment. (2) In an election held under this act, absent voters' ballots may be voted and processed in the manner provided by this chapter. (3) If electronic tabulating equipment rejects an absent voter ballot due to programming required under section 795, the rejected ballot shall be inspected to confirm the presence of the error before the ballot is processed. A vote for each elective office or ballot question in which an error is confirmed shall not be counted.

”

See law: Mich. Comp. Laws Section 168.798c

Michigan law included the following provision for who may count absentee/mail-in ballots:

“

(1) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary and subject to subsections (2) and (12), not less than 75 days before the day of an election, the clerk of a city or township may do any of the following: (a) Enter into an agreement with the clerk of another city or township, or with the clerks of more than 1 city or township, located in the same county as that city or township to establish a combined absent voter counting board to count the absent voter ballots for each participating city or township. (b) Enter into an agreement with the clerk of another city or township located in the same county that authorizes the clerk of 1 participating city or township to process and count the absent voter ballots for both participating entities by utilizing the absent voter counting board of that participating city or township. (c) Enter into an agreement with the clerk of the county in which that city or township is located to establish an absent voter counting board to count the absent voter ballots for that city or township. If a city or township has boundaries located in more than 1 county, the clerk of the city or township shall only enter into an agreement under this subdivision with the county clerk of the county in which the majority of the electors of the city or township reside.

”

See law: Mich. Comp. Laws Section 168.764d

Michigan law included the following provision for poll watchers:

“

(1) At an election, a political party or an incorporated organization or organized committee of citizens interested in the adoption or defeat of a ballot question being voted for or upon at the election, or interested in preserving the purity of elections and in guarding against the abuse of the elective franchise, may designate challengers as provided in this act. Except as otherwise provided in this act, a political party, incorporated organization, or organized committee of interested citizens may designate not more than 2 challengers to serve in a precinct at any 1 time. A political party, incorporated organization, or organized committee of interested citizens may designate not more than 1 challenger to serve at each counting board.

”

See law: Mich. Comp. Laws Section 168.730

Challenging ballots

Absentee/mail-in ballots may be challenged in an attempt to prevent the ballot from being counted. Ballots may be challenged for a variety of reasons, including: allegations that the voter is not qualified to vote in the election, the ballot was not received by the stated deadline, or that the voter had already voted in the same election. The methods and reasons for challenging ballots vary and are provided in state law. States without such provisions do not allow challenging absentee/mail-in ballots.

As of November 2020, Michigan law included the following provision for challenging ballots:

“

(1) An election inspector shall challenge an applicant applying for a ballot if the inspector knows or has good reason to suspect that the applicant is not a qualified and registered elector of the precinct, or if a challenge appears in connection with the applicant's name in the registration book. A registered elector of the precinct present in the polling place may challenge the right of anyone attempting to vote if the elector knows or has good reason to suspect that individual is not a registered elector in that precinct. An election inspector or other qualified challenger may challenge the right of an individual attempting to vote who has previously applied for an absent voter ballot and who on election day is claiming to have never received the absent voter ballot or to have lost or destroyed the absent voter ballot.

”

See law: Mich. Comp. Laws Section 168.727

As of November 2020, Michigan law included the following provisions for handling challenged ballots:

“

(2) Upon a challenge being made under subsection (1), an election inspector shall immediately do all of the following: (a) Identify as provided in sections 745 and 746 a ballot voted by the challenged individual, if any. (b) Make a written report including all of the following information: (i) All election disparities or infractions complained of or believed to have occurred. (ii) The name of the individual making the challenge. (iii) The time of the challenge. (iv) The name, telephone number, and address of the challenged individual. (v) Other information considered appropriate by the election inspector. (c) Retain the written report created under subdivision (b) and make it a part of the election record. (d) Inform a challenged elector of his or her rights under section 729.

”

See law: Mich. Comp. Laws Section 168.727

“

Whenever at any election the ballot of any person who has been challenged as an unqualified voter and who has taken the oath provided by law in such case to be taken shall be received by the inspectors of election, said inspectors shall cause to be plainly endorsed on said ballot, with pencil, before depositing the same in the ballot box, the number corresponding to the number placed after such voter's name on the poll lists without opening the same: Provided, That in case a ballot shall be so folded, defaced, printed or prepared that such number cannot be legibly and permanently written on the back thereof, said inspectors shall refuse to accept such ballot.

”

See law: Mich. Comp. Laws Section 168.745

Rejecting ballots

As of November 2020, Michigan law included the following provision for rejecting absentee/mail-in ballots:

“

If upon an examination of the envelope containing an absent voter's ballot or ballots, it is determined that the signature on the envelope does not agree sufficiently with the signature on the registration card or the digitized signature contained in the qualified voter file as provided under section 766 so as to identify the voter or if the board shall have knowledge that the person voting the ballot or ballots has died, or if it is determined by a majority of the board that such vote is illegal for any other reason, then such vote shall be rejected, and thereupon some member of the board shall, without opening the envelope, mark across the face of such envelope, "rejected as illegal", and the reason therefor. The statement shall be initialed by the chairman of the board of election inspectors. Said envelope and the ballot or ballots contained therein shall be returned to the city, township or village clerk and retained and preserved in the manner now provided by law for the retention and preservation of official ballots voted at such election.

”

See law: XLAMich. Comp. Laws Section 168.767WX

Ballot curing

Ballot curing refers to the process by which voters can correct mistakes—such as a missing or mismatched signature—with an absentee/mail-in ballot so that the ballot can be counted. Ballot curing provisions lay out this process in state law. States without such provisions do not count absentee/mail-in ballots with errors.

As of November 2020, Michigan law did not include a provision for curing ballots.

Rules in other states

Click on a state below to view information on processing, counting, and challenging absentee/mail-in ballots in that state.

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

More frequently asked questions about the 2020 election

Click on a question below to read the answer:

• General election information
  • Who runs elections in the United States?
  • Why do states have different election rules?
  • What methods do states use to prevent election fraud?
  • Do you have to vote for everything on your ballot?
  • What happens if you mark outside the lines or use the wrong pen/pencil?
  • What is a spoiled ballot?
  • What is a write-in candidate?
  • How can I check the status of my ballot?
  • Can I take a ballot selfie?

• Presidential election
  • What happens if a presidential candidate declares victory in the 2020 election before results are final?
  • Can presidential candidates win the election if they have already conceded?
  • What are the steps and deadlines for electing the President of the United States?
  • What happens if there is a tie in the Electoral College?
  • What are faithless electors in the Electoral College?
  • What happens if a presidential nominee becomes incapacitated before the election?
  • Can members of Congress object to Electoral College results?

• Processing and counting absentee/mail-in ballots
  • What is the life cycle of an absentee/mail-in ballot?
  • What happens if I vote by mail and want to change my ballot at a later date?
  • What happens if someone votes by mail and then tries to vote in person?
  • How do states protect and verify absentee/mail-in ballots?
  • How do election workers match signatures?
  • Are results reported on election night coming from in-person or absentee/mail-in votes?
  • Do states report how many mail-in/absentee ballots are outstanding on election night?
  • Do absentee/mail-in ballots take longer to count than in-person ballots?
  • What happens if someone votes by mail-in ballot or absentee ballot and subsequently passes away before Election Day?

• Disputing election results
  • How will election recounts work?
  • How close does an election have to be to trigger an automatic recount?
  • Can a candidate or voter request a recount?
  • Who pays for recounts and contested elections?
  • What are poll watchers?
  • What does it mean to challenge a voter's eligibility, and who can do it?
  • What is a redo election?
  • Who can file election-related lawsuits?
  • What are the reasons to call a redo election?
  • Who can call a redo election?
  • Can a redo be held for a presidential election?

• Election result reporting and certification
  • What happens if candidates declare victory in the 2020 election before results are final?
  • Can candidates win an election if they have already conceded?
  • How and when are election results finalized?
  • How do major media outlets declare winners?

• Transitions of power and taking office
  • Who is the president if election results are unknown by January 20, 2021?
  • Who serves in Congress if election results are unknown by January 2021?
  • Who serves in a state or local government if election results are unknown?
  • What happens if the winning presidential candidate becomes incapacitated before taking office?

• Articles about potential scenarios in the 2020 election
• U.S. Supreme Court actions affecting the November 3, 2020, general election

See also

• Ballotpedia's 2020 Election Help Desk
• Ballotpedia's 2020 Election Help Desk: Processing and counting absentee/mail-in ballots
• Absentee/mail-in voting, 2020