Associated Press
LANSING, Mich. (AP) Senate Republicans on Wednesday relaxed legislation that would have prohibited the use of absentee ballot drop boxes on Election Day, instead proposing to close them at 5 p.m. three hours before Michigan polls close.
The change, which did not appease opponents, was announced as the GOP-led Senate Elections Committee held its third hearing on measures in a 39-bill package, parts of which would restrict the absentee voting process.
Sen. Ed McBroom, a Vulcan Republican, said officials in Detroit the state’s largest city faced a “huge burden” collecting and counting thousands of ballots in drop boxes in November’s presidential election.
Michigan Senate GOP relaxes bill to close drop boxes early
By DAVID EGGERTMay 6, 2021 GMT
LANSING, Mich. (AP) Senate Republicans on Wednesday relaxed legislation that would have prohibited the use of absentee ballot drop boxes on Election Day, instead proposing to close them at 5 p.m. three hours before Michigan polls close.
The change, which did not appease opponents, was announced as the GOP-led Senate Elections Committee held its third hearing on measures in a 39-bill package, parts of which would restrict the absentee voting process.
Sen. Ed McBroom, a Vulcan Republican, said officials in Detroit the state’s largest city faced a “huge burden” collecting and counting thousands of ballots in drop boxes in November’s presidential election.
Why former Rep. Brindisi wants a voting law changed PUBLISHED 4:58 PM ET May. 05, 2021 PUBLISHED 4:58 PM EDT May. 05, 2021
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Last year, Democratic Rep. Anthony Brindisi lost his House seat by a razor-thin margin of just over 100 votes. While the outcome was disappointing, even more ballots were rejected because people voted at the wrong polling site. What was more frustrating to me was knowing there were hundreds of legally registered voters who cast their ballot in my election, but through no fault of their own, never had their vote counted, Brindisi said on Wednesday.
It s known as wrong church, wrong pew voting voters turning out at the wrong polling site, filling out a provisional ballot because they don t appear in the voter rolls, only to have their ballot rejected. Brindisi is backing a change to New York s election laws that would allow these votes to be counted and avoid disqualification.
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