Michigan's Benson to encourage absentee voting on Thursday during Democratic convention

While Gretchen Whitmer's speech may have carried more name recognition Monday night, and even a bit of off-scripted fodder for the Internet, she's far from the only elected official from Michigan to be speaking during the Democratic National Convention.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson plans to give a pre-recorded statement on Thursday, urging voters to cast their ballots by mail for the general election in November.

"There is absolutely zero difference between voting by mail and voting absentee," Benson plans to say. "Millions of Americans vote absentee and have for decades. Donald Trump, his family, his staff: They all vote by mail.  In fact, states like Colorado, Utah, and Oregon have been voting by mail for years. Republicans and Democrats agree that it’s safe.”

Appearing alongside California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, Benson's encouragement of absentee voting comes amid a boiling controversy regarding the United States Postal Service and politicizing of mail-in ballots. 

An outspoken proponent of the process, Benson has sought to exercise Michigan's new absentee voter rule legalized in 2018 to its fullest potential during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

During both the May and August elections, people registered to vote during those cycles were mailed absentee ballot applications. The decision received pushback from both President Donald Trump and Michigan Republicans who argued the move could cause incidences of voter fraud.

However, during a conference call with reporters following the Aug. 4 primary, Benson celebrated the record-breaking number of votes cast via mail.