Grand Rapids officials are scrambling to find out what happened to 100 absentee ballots that mysteriously disappeared in the mail. The ballots, which were mailed out to voters on September 26, never reached their destinations, leading the city clerk’s office to issue replacements.
Grand Rapids City Clerk Joel Hondorp said that while it’s not uncommon for a few ballots to get lost, losing 100 at once is concerning. The United States Postal Service (USPS) has joined the investigation to track down the missing ballots and figure out what went wrong.
Hondorp reassured voters that the original ballots have been voided and new ones are being sent out. Voters can track their ballots on Michigan’s voting website to ensure they are received and processed properly. He encouraged voters to check the status of their ballots if they experience delays.
The city has already sent out 32,000 absentee ballots for the upcoming election, but the missing ballots are raising concerns about the security of the mail-in voting system. With more people choosing absentee voting, incidents like this increase skepticism about the reliability of the process.
Both the city and USPS are working to resolve the issue, and voters affected by the missing ballots should receive their replacements soon. In the meantime, local officials are urging voters to stay informed and track their ballots to ensure their votes are counted.
