WHITMER SIGNS BALLOT BILL
Clerks get more time to count; Gov. calls out Legislature for ‘playing games’
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer expressed excitement about signing a piece of legislation to support local clerks amid the surge in absentee ballots, but also significant disappointment that another bill aiming to make it easier for veterans to cast ballots from overseas had not been presented to her by the GOP-led Legislature.
On Tuesday, Whitmer signed Senate Bill 757 alongside Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. The bill, which sunsets after the Nov. 3 general election, allows clerks in cities and townships with at least 25,000 residents to begin pre-processing of absentee ballots the day before Election Day, requires clerks to notify voters within 48 hours if a ballot is missing or has an incorrect signature, and allows clerks to let absent voter counting board members work in shifts.
The governor said she was also planning to sign Senate Bill 117, but added that the GOP-led Legislature “failed to send the bill” to her desk.
The bill would allow certain active duty military members and their spouses to return ballots to their local clerks electronically. Currently, federal and state law require that ballots must be electronically transmitted or
mailed to active duty members of themilitary at least 45 days before an election.
“Elections are not the time to play partisan games,” she said. “Our brave service members and their families put their lives on the line for us, and they deserve leaders who will help them vote,” said Whitmer. “It’s time for the legislature to stop playing games, get back to work, and send this bill to my desk.”
Benson said it’s disappointing to see Michigan’s service members being used as “political pawns.” She called SB 757 a “step in the right direction,” adding it does not go far enough to give local clerks the support they need to process the historic number of absentee ballots.
Amber McCann, spokesperson for the Senate Republican Caucus, said Republican leaders are currently looking at the possibility of improving security around electronic voting options and are considering whether to enroll the bill or not.
“The legislation as presented has no impact on
the upcoming election,” she said.
As of Monday, more than 2.7 million absentee ballot had been requested statewide, with 2.6 million issued and 380,000 returned. Over 438,000 of those ballots have been requested in Oakland County with another 446,000 requested in Wayne County and 240,000 requested in Macomb County.
Voters can find their clerk’s office and drop box locations and hours at Michigan.gov/ Vote.
In addition to speaking about the new legislation, Whitmer touched on the Supreme Court’s 4- 3 ruling, issued Oct. 2, that invalidated many of her executive orders that were issued under the Emergency Powers of the Governor Act of 1945 and the Emergency Management Act of 1976.
Although Whitmer praised the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) for issuing subsequent emergency orders that mirror many of her previous executive orders to protect Michiganders fromthe spread of COVID-19, she added that the removal of her executive orders will cause “choas,” “confusion” and ultimately increases in COVID-19 cases.
Over the past two days, MDHHS has issued several emergency orders under the Michigan Public Health Code requiring face coverings, limiting capacity at bars and other venues, capping the size of indoor and outdoor social gatherings, protecting vulnerable people in longterm care, child care, and juvenile justice facilities, and requiring K-12 schools to publicly notify of COVID-19 cases, both probable and confirmed.
Whitmer said working with the Legislature during emergencies is not efficient calling it “a deliberative body that works well when there’s a lot of time for deliberation,” but that it’s not the quickest body when having to act swiftly, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As we move forward where I have to negotiate with the Legislature, I’ve always been interested in negotiating with the Legislature if we can find some common ground,” she said. “But I’m not going to hold back on doing what we know to be the right thing to protect the people of this state.”
On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey tweeted criticisms of Whitmer, which included,
“Don’t let anyone tell you Gov. Whitmer should be allowed to ignore our Supreme Court because the Legislature won’t work with her. There are so many examples proving that wrong they won’t fit in one tweet. in fact, she’s signing bipartisan bills we sent her TODAY.”
Whitmer said it’s concerning that Shirkey, the top Republican in Michigan state government, is an “anti-masker” who tweeted his opposition to a statewide mask mandate over the weekend.
On Tuesday, Whitmer said those comments show a “real disdain for science and ignorance of the epidemiology that we are up against.”
Despite Whitmer’s concerns that the Legislature only plans to be in session for five days in the coming weeks, House Speaker Lee Chatfield tweeted that it won’t be an issue.
“We’ve been in session all during Covid, yet the Governor has refused to work with us,” he tweeted Tuesday. “Now, she’s claiming we’re not in town while she’s working, though yesterday she campaigned all day for House Democrats. The hypocrisy is astounding. It’s Laughable! Good thing nobody believes it.”