Counting absentee ballots: How do election workers tabulate mail-in ballots?

DETROIT (FOX 2) - This election, absentee ballots will play another pivotal role in deciding how voters cast their vote and how long it may take to project a winner.

Voting absentee is nothing new in each election cycle across the US, but in recent years, it has become a controversial talking point when discussing worries of election fraud.

In 2020, absentee voting became a major talking point in politics as the country was in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. That led to many voters worried about getting sick from going out in-person to cast their ballot. This led to a large turnout of absentee voting, with 3.3 million being cast by the end of the election. 

Detroit was put in the spotlight when then President Donald Trump took shots at the ballot tabulating process in Democratic-run cities, making false claims of election fraud. 

Four years later, the City of Detroit may again find itself in the news cycle with Michigan at the center of the 2024 election. This is the first year cities like Detroit can start the process of tabulating absentee ballots before election day.

Monday was the first day election workers started pre-processing them. Here is what that entails and how those working the election verify mail-in ballots before counting them.

Counting absentee ballots

Counting absentee ballots follows a four-step process that is overseen by workers at each phase. That starts with verifying the ballot that was mailed in.

One individual inspector does one of the four steps when counting the ballots on election night.

Step 1 - Verify each ballot

Workers begin counting ballot envelopes in each bundle on the mail tray, while verifying that each ballot number matches the total ballots returned on the Basent Voter List (AVL). 

Each bundle of 50 ballots is removed from the mail tray where workers confirm voter signatures, election date, clerk staff initials, the correct counting board, and the date received. 

Step 2 - Remove each ballot from their envelope

Workers then write the early tabulation day or election date and a number on each ballot envelope. From there, they remove the secrecy sleeve with the ballot and pass it to the next inspector who confirms if it is a match.

If it is a match, the empty ballot envelope is stacked with the voter information faced down with each batch placed into a black tub. 

Step 3 - Prepare each ballot for tabulation

The ballot stub is removed from the ballot and placed in an envelope, while the ballot is removed from the secrecy sleeve and is placed in the Ballots to be Tabulated Tray.

Step 4 - Insert the ballot into the tabulator

The ballot is taken from the tray and inserted into the tabulator. Once all ballots in the bundle have been tabulated, the number on the tabulator is recorded. 

All the ballots are then removed from the container below the tabulator and are placed with the ballots in the Audit Ballot Sleeve. Ballots in the write-in bin are also added to a separate sleeve.

Accounting for issues and other variables

With this process, issues can still occur, which is why there are additional steps to ensuring issues are resolved in any case. 

Some issues include when the ballot number on the stub does not match the ballot number on the envelope it arrived in. Other issues can include if the ballot envelope is not signed. Sometimes, envelopes are returned without a ballot.

If any of these problems arise, the section supervisor will note as such before 

If the ballot number on the stub does not match the ballot number on the envelope, the section supervisor will record the counting board number and the reason for the challenge. 

At times, election workers may need to duplicate ballots. If an absentee ballot is torn, came from a military member, or the tabulator says "ambiguous or misread," then workers at the absentee voter counting board will follow a three-step process for duplicating a ballot.

Steps for duplicating a ballot

A Section Supervisor takes a blank ballot then labels and numbers the original ballot and the duplicate ballot. From there, one worker reads out how the individual voted, and another fills in the duplicate ballot.

Both workers and the supervisor all initial both ballots have the process is complete.

The original ballot is placed in the Original Ballot Envelope while the duplicate is inserted into the tabulator. 

Poll challengers appointed by their respective political parties are allowed in the 2024 General Election. These challengers are meant to keep an eye on the integrity of the election.

The rules that challengers must follow is listed below: