DELTA COUNTY, Mich. (WZMQ) – With the general election only two weeks away, clerks in Delta County say voters’ fears about security and fraud are still on the rise.
According to Ford River Township Deputy Clerk and Elections Chair Deanna Zeits, voters have been especially vocal about their worries this election cycle.
“We’ve had concerns from voters about security with the absent voter process and if their vote counts,” she said.
Many of those concerns surround putting their ballot in a dropbox, walking away, and not seeing what happens next. However, Zeits assures voters their ballots are well-guarded and will end up in the right hands.
“We have a secure drop box, and it is monitored by a security camera 24/7,” she said. “If you would prefer to bring it into the office, you can hand it to Debbie Brown—the clerk—or myself.”
Delta County Clerk Nancy Przewrocki says procedures, like verification of signatures, are also in place to prevent absentee voting fraud.
“If a person votes absentee, they cannot vote at the polls or early vote,” she said. “We have a system in place in each of those locations that tells the workers that they’ve already received an absentee ballot. We try to be on top of everything.”
Voting equipment remains a topic of concern. Przewrocki says each machine undergoes thorough inspections before and after ballots are cast.
“We tested 1,365 ballots for the early voting,” she said. “Everything came out exactly the way it was supposed to. I’m sure we’ll be doing at least three audits after this election where look at every single aspect to make sure all of the rules were followed, all of the paperwork is absolutely correct. Then we do a hand count of the ballots to compare that to the tabulation.”
“Our tabulator is inspected for accuracy,” Zeits added. “At the end of the night, poll workers follow a series of steps to guarantee the process is secure with no concerns of mishandling.”
Both clerks say voters can feel safe however they vote, whether that be absentee, in person on November 5, or early October 26 – November 3.
“These different candidates can affect our daily lives, so it’s important that we all exercise our right to vote and get the people in there that will best represent us,” Przewrocki said.
“Just get out and vote because it’s not just your right, it’s your responsibility,” said Zeits.
To find your polling location, update your voter registration, or view a sample ballot, click here.
