by: WOOD TV8
MI Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer talk about the upcoming election at a briefing on Oct. 28, 2020. (Courtesy of the Michigan Executive Office of the Governor)
LANSING, Mich. (WOOD TV) — During a Wednesday briefing, Michigan’s Democratic Governor and top elections official on Wednesday defended the integrity of the election amid continued attacks from President Donald Trump, with both saying results may take longer in close contests due to a surge in absentee voting in the battleground state but every valid ballot will be counted.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer encouraged voters to take advantage of their right to cast an absentee ballot for any reason, including in person at their clerk’s office, to reduce the risk of exposure to the coronavirus at a polling place on Election Day. She echoed calls that those who already have a ballot hand deliver it to their clerk or put it in a secure drop box. They are due by 8 p.m. on Election Night.
During the briefing, Michigan's Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, noted that more than 2.4 million absentee ballots had been returned out of 3.2 million-plus that were requested. She said people’s votes will count, and she urged voters to be vigilant against attacks that “seek to challenge our faith in this very strong elections process that we’ve built.”
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