DETROIT – Michigan’s primary is coming up in early March, and for the first time, the state is offering absentee voting to anyone without requiring a reason.
There are concerns from the Secretary of State that Metro Detroit clerks are going to be swamped during the primary and the general election. The March primary will be one to watch in terms of how long it takes for results to be calculated.
All eyes in the political world are on Iowa as the caucus kicks off, giving a first look at who among the hotly contested Democratic field will win.
Clerks are bracing for thousands more absentee ballots when the primary turns to Michigan. Former Secretary of State Ruth Johnson has introduced multiple bills in Lansing to try to ease the transition.
One of them involves taking the ballots out of the outer envelope. The other would allow shifts for precinct workers, of which there are about 30,000 across the state.
“It’s a hard job,” Johnson said. “They don’t get paid much and they just really care.”
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson addressed Detroit City Council, assuring them preparations are in place.
You can watch Mara MacDonald’s full story in the video posted above.