Michigan secretary of state rolls out new voter information initiatives as voting begins

DETROIT — Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson on Thursday announced four new voter information initiatives and an additional $5 million in grant funding for local election security measures.

Benson made the announcement at a media event at the Detroit Pistons Performance Center, which will double as a receiving center for physical ballots cast in Detroit on election night, with Pistons Vice Chairman Arn Tellem.

Voting in the 2024 November election officially began Thursday, with more than 1,500 local clerks across the state mailing out the first round of absentee ballots. More than 1.8 million Michigan residents have already requested an absentee ballot for the election, Benson said.

"Beginning today, ballots are available to every eligible citizen who wants to vote in this fall's election," Benson said.

Benson emphasized the importance of transparency, from inviting observers from both parties to watch ballot counting, to welcoming questions from the public. The new voter information initiatives announced Thursday are an effort to get ahead of foreign and domestic misinformation campaigns, she said.

"We know that a lot of what we saw in 2020, or any time conspiracy theories take hold is when there's a vacuum of trusted information," Benson said.

Before the media event, Benson spoke to Detroit Pistons players, coaching staff, and employees who have hosted voter education events during previous election cycles and installed a ballot drop box outside their New Center facility.

"There's nothing more important than getting out to vote and encouraging everyone to have their voice heard and to participate in this election," Tellem said. "We're all committed to working with you to do our best that we will vote and help others in Detroit, especially, get out to vote and make sure their voices are heard."

Efforts to disrupt or interfere with the voting or vote-counting process will not be tolerated and there will be legal consequences, Benson said. She said she is currently in a state of "hyper-vigilance" because of violent threats to local clerks and election workers.

"I hope everyone who has perhaps launched into tirades against us in the past with misinformation or questions about our processes that are rooted in false information recognizes the consequences of spreading misinformation because they are directly linked to potentials for violence against election officials or even poll workers and voters," Benson said.

Among the initiatives she announced Thursday is a texting tool called "my vote info" that sends voters a one-time message with information to help them cast their ballot.

The message includes links to request an absentee ballot, find their early voting site, make a voting plan, become a poll worker, and reach Vote 411, the League of Women Voters non-partisan election information guide, Benson said. Anyone can sign up for the tool by texting "vote" to (833) 868-3009.

Absentee ballot tracking was previously available online, but Benson announced a new system Thursday that allows voters to receive the ballot tracking notifications directly in their inboxes. People can sign up for the notifications when they register to vote, when they submit an online absentee ballot application and online.

"Ballot tracking is an important security feature for those choosing to vote from home," Benson said. "It enables voters to see directly where their ballot is in the process at all times and learn exactly when it has been accepted for tabulation by their clerk."

Benson also launched a voter information campaign to spread awareness of all voting options available in Michigan, including early voting. This is the first Presidential Election where Michiganians have the option to vote early and in person at designated sites before Election Day.

The newly launched Election Facts Center allows online visitors to ask questions and find facts about the election, Benson said. This week her office has seen new warnings from intelligence agencies about foreign entities creating misinformation campaigns to mislead voters and prevent them from trusting U.S. election results.

Benson encouraged anyone who sees misinformation to let her office know. People can email misinformation@michigan.gov with screenshots of misinformation posts online.

She also announced an additional $5 million in grant funding for local clerks to use to implement election security measures.

"These grants can be used to boost physical security and resiliency against cyber security threats, as well as purchase additional voting equipment," Benson said.