Absentee ballots delayed in mail can't be counted, court rules

The Michigan Court of Appeals on Friday reversed a lower court’s decision that would have counted ballots postmarked by Election Day but received up to two weeks later.

The lawsuit was brought by the Michigan Alliance for Retired Americans against Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. It sought for absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if they were received later than the 8 p.m. Nov. 3 deadline, an argument that won in a Court of Claims decision.

After Benson elected not to appeal, legislative leaders intervened to do so.

That appeal was successful. Court of Appeals judges Thomas C. Cameron, Mark T. Boonstra and Michael F. Gadola reversed the lower court’s decision that would have allowed delayed ballots to be counted if received after Election Day.

Read more: https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2020/10/absentee-ballots-delayed-in-mail-cant-be-counted-court-rules.html