Press Releases

Today, Rep. Jack Bergman reminded First District constituents of absentee return and early in-person voting options, as mail delays have caused issues for clerks and voters.

“Voting is a fundamental right we have as Americans. As we near Election Day, concerned constituents and clerks have reached out to our office citing weeks-long postal delays of absentee ballots being delivered or returned. It’s imperative that every legal vote is counted in Michigan, so I encourage all who may still have an absentee ballot in-hand to deliver that directly to your clerk and be sure your vote is counted. Additionally, if you have not received a requested ballot, early in-person voting is still open until Sunday," Rep. Bergman stated.

Bergman blasted Postmaster General Dejoy, “With just three days until the most important election of our lifetime, the U.S. Postal Service has once again failed our rural and remote communities. Hundreds of absentee ballots across Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula remain undelivered, effectively disenfranchising these voters and leaving them few options to make their voices heard and votes count. For months, my colleagues and I have sounded the alarm on Postmaster General DeJoy’s ill-conceived facility consolidation plan and its severe impacts on rural America. Yet, these warnings were ignored. Congress must hold the Postal Service accountable for this failure at once.”

If you have received your absentee ballot but have not turned it in, here are some helpful options provided by the State of Michigan:

Return and submit an absentee ballot on Election Day

Voters can bring their completed absentee ballot to their precinct to insert directly into a tabulator.

The election inspector must verify that a voter is in the correct location and that the ballot has been issued to the correct voter.

Once this information is confirmed, voters will receive a secrecy sleeve and can insert their completed absentee ballot into the tabulator, just like at a polling place on Election Day.

Return and submit an absentee ballot at an early voting site

Voters can bring their completed absentee ballot to their early voting site to insert directly into a tabulator.

The election inspector must verify that a voter is in the correct location and that the ballot has been issued to the correct voter.

Once this information is confirmed, voters will receive a secrecy sleeve and can insert their completed absentee ballot into the tabulator, just like at a polling place on Election Day.

Return and submit an absentee ballot at a local clerk’s office

Voters can return their completed and signed absentee ballot in person to their local clerk’s office.

Eligible voters who are not currently registered to vote in Michigan, or who have not updated their registration with a current address in Michigan, have until 8 p.m. on Election Day to visit their local clerk’s office to register to vote or update their registration address and request an absentee ballot to complete and submit on site.

So long as an eligible resident is in line at their clerk’s office by 8 p.m., they may register to vote or update their registration and cast an absentee ballot.