>> ALL RIGHT,
MONICA ALBA, %
THANKS SO MUCH.
>>> MICHIGAN PUT %
IN MAIL-IN %
VOTING.
THIS IS THE
FIRST WITH NO %
EXCUSE ABSENTEE %
BALLOTS.
TODAY CONSIDERED %
A DRY RUN.
AND THIS IS OUR %
COUNTY TO COUNTY %
SERIES. %
DR. BYRNES IS AT
A POLLING %
LOCATION IN KENT %
COUNTY, %
MICHIGAN. %
I WAS JUST %
SAYING, I WONDER %
HOW DR. BIRX IS
DOING? %
AND HERE YOU
ARE. %
WHAT ARE %
ELECTION
OFFICIALS DOING %
TODAY? %
WHAT WOULD THEY
CONSIDER A %
SUCCESS WHEN IT
COMES TO MAIL-IN %
VOTING? %
>> HEY, ALISON. %
GREAT TO BE WITH
YOU. %
AND I’VE BEEN AT %
THIS EAST GRAND %
RAPIDS POLLING.
AND I HAVE TO %
TELL YOU, WE %
HAVE NOT SEEN %
MUCH. %
NORMALLY, THIS %
IS A PRETTY %
BUSTLING ONE BY %
LOCAL OFFICIALS. %
BUT NOT THE CASE %
TODAY. %
THIS ELECTION IS %
ALL ABOUT MAIL-%
IN VOTING AND %
THIS IS BEING
VIEWED AS A TEST %
AHEAD OF %
NOVEMBER.
BECAUSE ELECTION %
OFFICIALS ARE %
DEALING WITH %
SEVERAL NEW %
FACTORS HERE. %
THIS IS THE
FIRST ELECTION %
CYCLE WHERE %
MICHIGAN HAS NO-%
EXCUSE ABSENTEE %
VOTE BEING, %
WHICH MEANS ANY
VOTER WHO WANTS
TO VOTE. %
THEY DON’T NEED %
A SPECIFIC %
REASON FOR IT.
ON TOP OF THAT, %
THE SECRETARY OF
STATE HERE TOOK
THE %
UNPRECEDENTED %
STEP OF MAILING %
ABSENTEE BALLOT %
APPLICATIONS, %
NOT BALLOTS,
APPLICATIONS. %
THAT’S AN %
IMPORTANT %
DISTINCTION. %
BUT MAILED THOSE %
TO EVERY VOTER %
IN THE STATE OF %
MIP MITCH. %
NOW, THAT MOVE
STARRED QUITE A %
BIT OF %
CONTROVERSY. %
AND ALSO CHRIST
SINGE FROM %
PRESIDENT TRUMP. %
BUT IT MEANT %
THAT VOTERS %
NEEDED TO TAKE %
ONE LESS STEP IN %
ORDER TO VOTE BY
MAIL. %
ALL OF THOSE %
FACTORS, %
COMBINED WITH
THIS PANDEMIC,
HAVE LED TO A
MASSIVE SURGE IN
ABSENTEE %
BALLOTS. %
THINK ABOUT
THIS, ALISON. %
IN THE 2016 %
PRESIDENTIAL
RACE. %
KENT COUNTY
ISSUED ABOUT %
20,000 BALLOTS. %
IN IN THIS,
THEY’VE ISSUED %
120,000 ABSENTEE %
BALLOTS. %
THAT IS A HUGE %
JUMP. %
AND ELECTION
OFFICIALS TELL %
ME THAT COME
NOVEMBER, THEY
COULD SEE SOME
ASTRONOMICAL %
NUMBERS IF THIS %
TREND CONTINUES, %
WHICH THEY %
EXPECT IT WILL.
THE THING IS, IN
MICHIGAN, %
ELECTION WORKERS
CAN’T ACTUALLY %
START COUNTING %
THOSE BALLOTS
UNTIL 7:00 A.M.
ON ELECTION DAY. %
WHICH MEANS, %
ALISON, WE COULD %
BE WAITING QUITE %
SOMETIME BEFORE %
WE GET RESULTS %
OUT OF MICHIGAN %
IN NOVEMBER.
NOW, TODAY, %
SUCCESS ON THAT %
FRONT WOULD MEAN
WE GET RESULTS, %
MIDDAY TOMORROW, %
TYPICALLY THEY %
GET THEM EARLY, %
EARLY IN THE %
MORNING ON %
WEDNESDAY.
MIDDAY TOMORROW %
WOULD SIGNAL %
SUCCESS. %
BUT COME %
NOVEMBER, IT %
COULD BE END OF
THE WEEK, IF NOT %
LATER, ALISON? %
>> I KNOW YOU
SPOKE TO THE %
KENT COUNTY
CLERK. %
SHE IS SAYING %
SHE WANTS %
FEDERAL SUPPORT. %
WHAT %
SPECIFICALLY IS
SHE ASKING FOR? %
>> RIGHT. %
AND THE KENT
COUNTY CLERK %
TELLS ME SHE IS %
NOT IN FAVOR OF
CHANGING THAT %
RULE OF TRYING %
TO COUNT THOSE %
BALLOTS.
EARLIER, SOME %
STATES ARE %
ALLOWING WORKERS
TO START %
COUNTING MAIL-IN %
BALLOTS EARLY. %
SHE DOES NOT
WANT TO SEE THAT %
HERE. %
AND IT’S %
UNLIKELY THAT %
RULE IS GOING TO
CHANGE BY
NOVEMBER. %
INSTEAD, SHE %
SAYS SHE WANTS %
MORE FUNDING AND %
MORE SUPPORT. %
SO THEY CAN BEEF %
UP THEIR %
OPERATION. %
TAKE A LISTEN TO %
WHAT SHE TOLD ME %
ABOUT THAT.
I BELIEVE THERE %
SHOULD BE A %
SERIOUS
CONVERSATION %
ABOUT %
POTENTIALLY
PROVIDING MORE %
FUNDING, WHETHER
IT’S FROM THE %
FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT SORE
STATE GOVERNMENT %
TO OUR ELECTION %
WORKERS. %
LOCAL ELECTION
OFFICIALS TO %
PROVIDE %
ADDITIONAL %
TABULATING %
EQUIPMENT. %
ADDITIONAL %
SCANNERS.
FUNDING FOR %
ADDITIONAL %
WORKERS IN OUR
ABSENTEE COUNTY %
BOARDS TOUB ABLE %
TO -- TO BE ABLE %
TO BEEF UP OUR %
OPERATIONS.
>> EVEN WITH ALL %
OF THAT, ALISON. %
SHE REALLY %
EMPHASIZED, WE %
MIGHT NEED TO %
HAVE A LITTLE %
BIT OF PATIENCE %
THIS TIME %
AROUND.
>> DOCTOR, WE %
HAVE BEEN %
TALKING ABOUT %
THIS WHOLE %
PROCESS, WHAT
IT’S LIKE WITH %
THE MAIL-IN %
BALLOTS. %
AND WE GOT A NEW %
INSIDE LOOK THAT
WOULD LET CLERKS
AND VOTERS LOOK
AT THEIR %
BALLOTS. %
>> YEAH. %
IT WAS REALLY
COOL ACTUALLY. %
I GOT TO GEEK
OUT IN THIS WARE %
HOUSE WITH MAIL %
EQUIPMENT WHICH %
IS SO MUCH FUN %
THIS. %
IS ANOTHER %
INITIATIVE THAT %
COULD MAKE A %
DIFFERENCE. %
ESPECIALLY IN %
NOVEMBER. %
THIS COMES OUT
OF A COMPANY %
CALLED KCI. %
THEY ARE A %
PRINTING AND %
MAILING COMPANY %
HERE THAT WORKS
WITH THE POST
OFFICE, %
INCLUDING ON
MAILING BALLOTS. %
BUT THIS TIME %
AROUND, THE %
PRESIDENT CAME %
UP WITH THE IDEA
TO HELP CLERKS
AND VOTERS TRACK %
THEIR BALLOTS. %
WHICH IS NOT %
SOMETHING THAT %
EXISTED HERE.
ESSENTIALLY, IT %
WOULD LET THE %
VOTERS SEE WHEN
IT GET BAX TO %
THE CLERK. %
AND ALL OF THOSE %
STEPS IN BETWEEN %
BY USING THIS %
TRACKING SYSTEM
AND SOFTWARE %
THAT THEY HAVE
AND HAVE BEEN %
USING WITH OTHER
CLIENTS THAT %
THEY WORK WITH. %
THE PRESIDENT OF %
THAT COMPANY %
SAID IT COULD %
ANSWER SOME OF %
THOSE QUESTIONS
AND EASE SOME OF
THOSE CONCERNS %
AROUND FRAUD AND %
GIVES VOTERS A %
LITTLE BIT MORE %
FAITH IN THE %
SYSTEM. %
TAKE A LISTEN TO %
WHAT HE TOLD ME.
>> SO WHAT ARE
YOU HOPING TO %
PROVE WITH THIS %
AND WHAT DO YOU
HOPE WILL HAPPEN %
IN NOVEMBER? %
>> WE ARE HOPING %
MICHIGAN CAN RUN
THE MOST %
TRANSPARENT IN %
ELECTION
HISTORY. %
THAT WE CAN
TRACK BALLOTS. %
AND ENSURE THE
VOTER. %
ENSURE THE %
ELECTION %
OFFICIALS THAT %
WE CAN SEE THEM %
GOING THROUGH %
THE MAIL. %
THERE’S BEEN A %
LOT OF %
DISCUSSION ABOUT
VOTE BY MAIL AND %
FRAUDULENT %
BALLOTS. %
BUT WITH THIS
SYSTEM, WE CAN %
SEE EXACTLY %
WHERE THE %
BALLOTS ARE AND
ANSWER THE FRAUD %
QUESTION. %
>> ALISON, FOR
THIS PRIMARY, %
THEY PARTNERED %
WITH TWO %
MUNICIPALITIES.
THEY’RE HOPING %
TO SCALE THAT UP %
SIGNIFICANTLY %
BEFORE NOVEMBER.
ALISON?
>> AND DOCTOR, %
BEFORE I LET YOU %
GO, I SHOULD AT %
LEAST ASK, WE %
TALKED SO MUCH %
ABOUT THE MAIL-%
IN VOTING AND %
NOVEMBER. %
BUT THERE IS A %
PRIMARY TODAY IN %
MICHIGAN. %
COULD YOU JUST %
TELL US ABOUT IT %
QUICKLY BEFORE
WE LET YOU GO? %
>> YEAH. %
THAT’S RIGHT.
PROBABLY THE
MOST INTERESTING %
RACE IS THE
RASHIDA TLAIB %
VERSUS BRENDA
JONES. %
THAT’S BECAUSE %
THIS %
CONGRESSWOMAN,
RASHIDA TLAIB %
HAS BEEN AN
OUTSPOKEN VOICE %
ON THE HILL. %
SHE’S PART OF %
THE SQUAD OF %
PROGRESSIVE %
DEMOCRATIC WOMEN %
THAT WERE
ELECTED IN 2018. %
AND SHE WON THAT %
2018 PRIMARY %
HERE BY A VERY %
NARROW MARGIN. %
AND HER %
OPPONENT, BRENDA %
JONES, WHO IS
THE PRESIDENT OF %
THE DETROIT CITY %
COUNCIL, %
ACTUALLY CAME IN %
SECOND, A VERY
CLOSE SECOND IN %
THAT 2018 %
PRIMARY. %
AND THEY’RE %
FACING OFF %
AGAIN.
NOW, BRENDA %
JONES DOES HAVE %
SIGNIFICANT NAME %
RECOGNITION IN %
THE AREA.
SO SHE IS A %
FORMIDABLE %
OPPONENT. %
SO IT COULD BE A %
BATTLE FOR %
RASHIDA TLAIB TO
HOLD ONTO THAT %
SEAT HERE TODAY. %
ALISON? %
>> SO MUCH GOING %
ON THERE IN %
MICHIGAN, DR. %
BURNS. %
THANKS A LOT. %