In Grand Rapids, Michigan, 100 absentee ballots have mysteriously vanished in the mail, leading to an investigation by city officials and the United States Postal Service (USPS). The ballots, mailed out on September 26, were intended for residents in the northwest part of the city but never arrived.
Grand Rapids City Clerk Joel Hondorp acknowledged that losing some ballots in the mail can happen, but he noted that having 100 go missing at once is highly unusual. He reassured voters that replacements are being sent and the original ballots have been voided to prevent duplicate voting.
Hondorp also urged voters to use Michigan’s online voting system to track the status of their absentee ballots. This allows voters to see when their ballot was mailed and when it is received by election officials. Hondorp emphasized the importance of checking on the status of absentee ballots to ensure they are counted.
The USPS and the city are continuing their investigation to locate the missing ballots, which has raised concerns about the security of absentee voting. Hondorp pointed out that 32,000 absentee ballots were mailed out for this election, with the 100 missing ballots representing a small percentage.
Officials are working to resolve the situation as quickly as possible, and voters who have not yet received their replacement ballots are encouraged to report any issues to the clerk’s office.
