Absentee Ballot Deadline Issues

Several Upper Peninsula communities are facing public scrutiny after missing state and federal deadlines to mail absentee ballots to military and overseas voters.

70 Michigan communities missed the deadline, including six in the U.P.

Here are those communities, by county:

Houghton County — Osceola Township and Portage Township

Marquette County — City of Ishpeming

Menominee County — Menominee Township

Ontonagon County — Matchwood Township

Schoolcraft County — City of Manistique

Ballots must be provided to military and overseas voters who request them at least 45 days before an election, either by traditional mail or by e–mail.

Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson says the communities in the list above did not meet the mailing deadline.

Johnson has instructed clerks in affected communities to immediately contact military and overseas voters and to offer a new ballot if one was not received.