Secretaries of states warn Election Day could drag out

Several secretaries of states warned Election Day could drag out as states shift efforts to address concerns raised around voting during the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic. 

“We should be prepared for this to be closer to an Election Week, as opposed to an Election Day,” Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” 

“The bottom line is we are not going to have the full results and a counting of all of our ballots on election night,” she added. 

She said her office is increasing tabulators and capacity to more efficiently and securely count ballots, stressing that she is focused on accuracy over speed. 

Other secretaries of state interviewed on “Meet the Press” noted the ways in which their states are adjusting and preparing for voting during the pandemic. 

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said his top concern is recruiting poll workers for Election Day. 

“The thing that we’re thinking about more than anything right now is poll worker recruitment,” LaRose said. “It takes 35,000 Ohioans to run in-person Election Day. And so we’re doing all we can to recruit those poll workers.”

He also said it’s unfortunate the state’s legislature has not acted on resources to cover postage issues regarding absentee and mail-in ballots. 

“I would love to see us provide postage-paid absentee ballots to every registered voter who requests one. Of course, that’s going to require a change in law by the state legislature or action by the State Controlling Board. And that’s exactly what I’m continuing to push them to do,” he said.

“We’ve expanded drop boxes in Ohio as well, but the law only allows me to place one at every County Board of Elections. We’ve done just that. That’s a good improvement for Ohioans. But I want to see those postage-paid envelopes because, effectively then, every mailbox in the state becomes a drop box for your ballot.”

Gov. Mike DeWine (R) said he is “not concerned” about voting issues in Ohio, touting that the state has a “very good system” in place. 

“I’ve talked extensively with Frank LaRose, our secretary of state. We have a very good system in Ohio. For many years, two decades, I think, voters have been able to vote absentee with no reason. They can just ask for an absentee ballot,” DeWine said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.” 

DeWine said LaRose has said the state is “at least double” over the requests for absentee ballots than it normally would receive, but added “we’re used to doing this.” 

“What we tell people to do is, look, you know, everyone, by the way, is now getting in the mail, you know, their application. They can fill that out. Every voter in Ohio is getting it. They can fill that out; they can send that in. They’ll get their absentee ballot back. We’re asking people, if you’re going to vote that way, you know, to do it as early as you can,” DeWine said.  

“So we’re not concerned about Ohio. We always have to be vigilant. You know, our elections in Ohio and across this country are held in a very bipartisan way from the precinct, where you have Democrats and Republicans, to the county level and — and with the secretary of state running the election,” he added. 

In North Carolina, the state’s board of elections executive director Karen Brinson Bell said the state is “uniquely positioned” to handle an increase in the use of absentee ballots because it started sending them out on Sept. 4 to nearly 6000,0000 absentee requests the state received. 

“We are ahead of the game in sending out those ballots. That’s more time for voters to return them,” Bell said “Meet the Press.” 

State’s efforts to expand mail-in voting comes as President Trump has repeatedly slammed mail-in voting, making unsubstantiated claims that it leads to widespread voter fraud. Democrats have largely pushed to expand efforts and increase funding for states to adept to expanded mail-in voting programs amid the pandemic. 

In an interview last month with “Axios on HBO” Trump stoked fears about mail-in voting by stating election results may take months. 

NBC’s Chuck Todd asked the Michigan secretary of state if she is concerned “that people may take the delay in getting all the results in Michigan to declare a phony winner?”

“Yes,” Benson replied. “But to me, that’s just going to be another example of the type of misinformation and disinformation that we’re seeing multiple ways from multiple platforms and voices in this election cycle.”

“So we’re going to counter that misinformation with truth and accuracy,” she added.