S.O.S. Ensures Election Security, Accuracy

(CBS DETROIT) – Two-point-nine million absentee ballots have already been returned and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is predicting a large voter turn-out of two-million people showing up to the polls to cast their ballots on Election Day.

Thirty thousand polls workers are lined up and ready for duty across the state to work the polls Tuesday.

An extra 2,000 are on stand-by to jump on the job if polls are short staffed.

The 2020 general election is proving to be unlike any other with record-breaking early votes and integrity concerns.

"For absentee ballots, once a ballot is received the signature is checked and verified to confirm that the ballot is valid and should be voted and it's opened, it's flattened with the correct precinct and put through the tabulator. Again, all of this happens with a bi-partisan group of poll workers, or election workers observing the process," said Benson.

Clerks will get a 10-hour head start Tuesday to process ballots. That means from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. election day workers can take the ballots out the sleeve and get them prepared for tabulation.

"So it's a multi-factor, many steps process that is all in line with what the security protocols call for but that's why we're going to take time and be methodical about it to ensure accuracy," said Benson.

Secretary Benson says it took clerks roughly 40 hours to count 1.5 million ballots in the Michigan primary.

Since the general election is expected to draw double the votes, results won't be fully tabulated until Friday.

The polls open Tuesday morning at 7 a.m. closing at 8 p.m. and if you have not registered to vote you can do so on Election Day ahead of casting your ballot.

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