Officials in Grand Rapids, Michigan, are investigating after 100 absentee ballots went missing in the mail. These ballots, sent out by the city clerk’s office on September 26, were reported missing by residents in northwest Grand Rapids who never received them. The city, along with the United States Postal Service (USPS), is working to determine what happened.
Grand Rapids City Clerk Joel Hondorp acknowledged that while the USPS handles large volumes of mail, losing 100 ballots is unusual. He reassured voters that replacement ballots are being sent out and that the original ones have been voided. Hondorp advised that voters can track the status of their absentee ballots online through Michigan’s voting website.
Hondorp stated, “If a voter hasn’t received their ballot, they can check Michigan.gov/vote to track it.” Despite the missing ballots, Hondorp assured the public that the issue is being addressed and that every effort is being made to ensure all votes are counted.
This incident has raised concerns about the security and reliability of the absentee voting process, especially in light of heightened scrutiny surrounding mail-in ballots. The 100 missing ballots come from an area that has sent out a total of 32,000 absentee ballots for the upcoming election.
The USPS and the Grand Rapids clerk’s office are continuing their investigation to locate the missing ballots and prevent any further issues. In the meantime, voters who did not receive their original ballots should expect replacements soon and are encouraged to verify their voting information through official channels.
