Originally published in Detroit News.
Michigan’s elections are in the rearview mirror. By nearly all accounts, this election was fair, accurate and secure. Unofficial results were announced within 24 hours of polls closing at 8 p.m. on Nov. 5.
In contrast to 2020, social media was relatively quiet. Naysayers on the right and left were muted before we even knew who Michigan voters picked to be our next president. The state Board of Canvassers certified the elections on Nov. 22, smoothly and with zero protests.
The Democracy Defense Project watched this election very closely. As a bipartisan organization, we talked to and partnered with elections officials from both parties to understand what they do to ensure our elections are safe and secure, even as new reforms are implemented in Michigan election laws.
Voters can be assured that their votes were accurately counted and the system worked as designed. Even the handful of hiccups affecting only four counties were quickly resolved and can offer lessons for the future.
Human errors in Ada and Plainfield Townships initially missed about 13,000 votes. Kent County Clerk Lisa Lyons reviewed paper records that were transmitted to the county, caught the omissions before the start of the county canvass and ensured vote totals were correct. Similarly, initially unofficial results in Kalamazoo County undercounted about 7,000 votes and the county Board of Canvassers requested, as they are empowered to do, a re-tabulation of the votes, resulting in updated tallies. In Calhoun County, a programming error caused about 4,000 votes to go uncounted, an error the county clerk quickly corrected by having the ballots re-tabulated and unofficial numbers updated.
Altogether, 26,662 additional votes that had been missed on Election Day in four counties were quickly accounted for and added to the corrected unofficial tally Nov. 8, just three days after polls closed. These irregularities are not indications that Michigan’s elections are faulty: They are proof that the system works.
New variables include the introduction of early in-person voting in Michigan. Though we saw a few bumps, it’s clear that Michigan election officials were well prepared this year, adapting quickly to new processes that involve poll workers, elections clerks and the Michigan Bureau of Elections.
To be clear: Elections are never perfect. But this year, we witnessed clerks and election officials from both parties demonstrate an unprecedented level of transparency and openness. They invited members of the public to witness testing and processes before, during and after the elections to see for themselves how the process works. Election officials engaged in a sustained public outreach campaign, attending public town halls, holding informational forums and speaking to the media to inform voters about the facts.
The four of us have a combined 100 years of experience participating in Michigan elections, and we know the work of improving and strengthening them is far from over. While Michigan’s elections process worked as intended, with our current safety and security measures upholding the integrity of our votes, we believe in continuous improvement. Michigan, like every other state, can always do things better, boosting both election integrity and public confidence at the same time.
Just before Election Day, Democracy Defense Project commissioned and released a poll that sought to gauge Michigan voters’ confidence in our elections. Only 77% of Michiganians initially felt confident in the elections, but once they were told about 12 practices that are already state law or in widespread use, their confidence in the elections soared, surpassing 94%.
Michigan voters feel better when they know these safeguards are in place. Policymakers should take a close look at these measures, as well as other commonsense steps that can secure our election, and consider making them law.
Just as our work to form a more perfect union is ongoing, so should our efforts to strengthen our elections. Every voter deserves to fill out their ballot with ironclad confidence their votes and the votes of only legally eligible voters will be counted and that the results are accurate.
DDP MI Board Members John Engler, Jim Blanchard, Mike Bishop, John Cherry, The Detroit News
###
Published: Jan 6, 2025
