Michigan opens portal for overseas military voters to return ballots electronically

Votebeat is a nonprofit news organization reporting on voting access and election administration across the U.S. Sign up for Votebeat Michigan’s free newsletter here. Michigan voters serving in the military away from home have a new way to return their ballots starting this week. With the launch of the Electronic Delivery and Return Portal, these voters will have the option to fill out their ballot and return it all electronically through a secure online portal. It’s a small step for a state that, compared with many others, strictly limits who can return ballots electronically. Michigan previously required all voters covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, or UOCAVA to return their ballots only by mail. In 2022, lawmakers approved a change for military voters only, allowing them to return ballots electronically, but implementation was delayed until this year to align with other election law updates. Sen. Ruth Johnson, a Republican from Holly and a former Mi