Michigan ballots won't be in until Nov 6: MI secretary of state

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) can’t promise that her state’s election results will be certified until Nov. 6 – the day after the presidential and Congressional elections.

“In 2020 we had the results of our highest turnout election in Michigan history within 24 hours of the polls closing. The unofficial results were completed by 8 p.m. Wednesday, so we’re tracking that again this year,” Benson said Sunday on CBS News’s “Face the Nation.”

“We do have more options to process ballots sooner than Election Day, which is where we were restricted in 2020 so I'm optimistic we could see results even sooner, but I would estimate the end of the day on Wednesday as the best guess on how we'll perform. But that said, we will always prioritize accurate accuracy and security over efficiency,” she continued.

“Understanding how much people want those results, we're still going to make sure the process is secure and accurate before we put anything out to the public. But that said, we understand people's energy and excitement, and we'll be working hard to ensure those results are all ready as soon as possible.”

Benson said voters in Michigan are excited to cast their ballot in this election. More than 1 million people have already voted in the state, and more than 2 million requested an absentee ballot, The Hill noted.

She offered her promise to certify the results regardless of who the victor is. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump surged ahead of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in a recent poll and the numbers have remained consistent.

Both the Republican National Committee (RNC) and the Michigan Republican Party have filed a lawsuit against Benson, over her election certification processes for absentee ballots, saying the information needed for election workers to verify the ballots is "incomplete.” Benson has also advocated that neighbors should snitch on one another to report election “misinformation.”