Michigan Pushes Back Against Federal Mail-In Voting Plan

If you’ve voted absentee in Michigan over the last few years, this is something you’ll want to pay attention to.

Michigan is now one of 24 states filing a lawsuit against an executive order from Donald Trump that targets mail-in voting. At the core of it is a pretty basic question, who actually controls how elections are run?

Why Michigan Is Challenging This Voting Order

The order would create a national list of eligible voters and direct the U.S. Postal Service to only send absentee ballots to people on that list. WJRT says that it also threatens to pull federal funding from states that don’t comply. Michigan leaders are pushing back.

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Attorney General Dana Nessel joined the lawsuit, saying absentee voting is already secure and widely used. Millions of Michiganders cast mail-in ballots in the last election alone.

What The Proposed Changes Could Mean For Absentee Voting

Governor Gretchen Whitmer says the order goes against the Constitution, arguing that elections are handled by the states, not the federal government.
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson says the concern is confusion and access. If this were to move forward, she believes it could make it harder for eligible voters to cast a ballot.

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Here in Michigan, absentee voting has been expanded since 2018, when voters approved changes to make it easier. Since then, millions have signed up to vote by mail.

What Happens Next In The Lawsuit

There are also safeguards already in place, including signature verification, secure drop boxes, and bipartisan teams overseeing ballots.

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For now, the lawsuit is asking a federal court to block the order before anything changes. And like most election-related issues, this likely isn’t getting settled anytime soon.