VOTE BY MAIL

Michigan officials are encouraging voters to return their absentee ballots in person for the 2021 General Election as soon as possible.

It would be the largest fine ever under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

The Georgia Democratic Party has its answer for how the state delivered its electoral votes to Joe Biden for president in November and gave Democrats control of the U.S. Senate with runoff victories two months later.

Two right-wing operatives accused of orchestrating robocalls designed to suppress voter turnout in the 2020 presidential election are heading to trial in Michigan over several felony charges.

Two right-wing political operatives at the center of a robocall scam in Detroit and other U.S. cities have been ordered to call their victims back with a corrective message. Jack Burkman, 54, from Arlington, Virginia and Jacob Wohl, 22, from Los Angeles were ordered by a U.S. district court Wednesday to issue “curative” robocalls to individuals that were previously targeted by an alleged voter-intimidation scheme. Burkman and Wohl were arraigned in Michigan earlier this month. On Wednesday, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ordered Burkman and Wohl to issue a new robocall to correct the misinformation contained in the initial calls made in August. Not only did Defendants incite fears of these grim consequences, but they baselessly tied the prospects to mail-in voting.

Michigan voters who feel uncomfortable voting in person amid the pandemic now have the option to vote by mail using an absent voter ballot. The state of Michigan mailed absentee voting applications to all registered Michigan voters in May for this year’s August and November elections. There is still time for Michigan voters to request a mail-in ballot for the General Election on November 3. You can apply to receive an absent voter ballot on the state’s website right here. Learn more: Voting by mail in Michigan for 2020 General Election: What to knowDo you need a voter registration card in order to vote in person?

Political robocalls and texts are getting out of control, but there is a way to get them to stop -- for now. If you feel like you’ve received a political scam call, it’s important you report it to local police and the Better Business Bureau who will track the areas being targeted. We’re also seeing robocall scam calls. If you feel like you’ve received a political scam call it’s important you report it to local police and the Better Business Bureau who will track the areas being targeted. If you’ve been the victim of a robocall scam, report it on the BBB.org/ScamTracker.

DETROIT – Two men are facing felony charges in Michigan after allegedly orchestrating robocalls meant to discourage voters from voting by mail in the presidential election by making false claims. According to officials, an investigation revealed that the robocalls have been reported in Detroit and a number of other cities across New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois. “Any effort to interfere with, intimidate or intentionally mislead Michigan voters will be met with swift and severe consequences,” Nessel said. “This effort specifically targeted minority voters in an attempt to deter them from voting in the November election. Read: Trust Index: Fact-checking claims about absentee voting made during Trump-Biden debateThe official charges against Burkman and Wohl can be viewed in the document below.

DETROIT – Two men are facing felony charges in Michigan after allegedly orchestrating robocalls meant to discourage voters from voting by mail in the presidential election by making false claims. According to officials, an investigation revealed that the robocalls have been reported in Detroit and a number of other cities across New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois. “Any effort to interfere with, intimidate or intentionally mislead Michigan voters will be met with swift and severe consequences,” Nessel said. “This effort specifically targeted minority voters in an attempt to deter them from voting in the November election. Read: Trust Index: Fact-checking claims about absentee voting made during Trump-Biden debateThe official charges against Burkman and Wohl can be viewed in the document below.

AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Gov. Trump has spread falsehoods about mail voting, suggesting without evidence that the process — which is surging in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic — was ripe for fraud. Texas is one of just five states not allowing widespread mail-in voting this year, with polls showing unusually tight races in America’s biggest red state. “Mail ballot voters shouldn’t have to drive 30 miles to drop off their ballot, or rely on a mail system that’s facing cutbacks,” said Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, a Democrat. “Our office is more than willing to accommodate poll watchers at mail ballot drop-off locations,” Hollins said.

When Benson announced the mass mailing, she was criticized by President Donald Trump, who wrongly stated that she was sending absentee ballots, not applications. The previous record for absent voter ballots cast in a Michigan election was 1.3 million in the 2016 Presidential Election. Already, about 2.3 million absentee ballots have been requested for the fall election, which Benson said puts Michigan on track to receive more than 3 million that are completed. Of the 7.7 million registered voters in Michigan, about 5 million are expected to participate in the upcoming election, officials said in August. About 10,000 absent voter ballots were rejected in Michigan’s Primary Election in August.

LANSING, Mich. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said Wednesday that voters are encouraged to drop off their absent voter ballots in person as the Michigan Primary Election approaches on Aug. 4. As of 2018 Michigan voters now have the option to vote by mail for no reason using absentee ballots -- and a significant number of Michigan voters are choosing to do so amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. READ: Voting by mail in Aug. 4 Michigan Primary Election: What to knowAs the Aug. 4 election approaches, officials say it is a good idea to return Michigan absentee ballots in person rather than by mail. If you have not yet mailed in your completed Michigan Primary Election absentee ballot, you are encouraged to deliver it to your local clerks office on or before Aug. 4. In-person voting will still be available for the 2020 Michigan Primary Election on Aug. 4, even amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

LANSING, Mich. With the threat of the coronavirus (COVID-19) present throughout the country, some states have encouraged absentee voting ahead of presidential primary and general elections. Bensons office mailed about 740,000 absentee ballot applications to Michigan voters ahead of the May elections. Now the office is ensuring that absentee ballot applications are mailed to all 7.7 million registered voters in Michigan. Officials say that more than one million absentee ballots have been issued to Michigan voters as of Thursday. Trump falsely accused Benson of illegally sending absentee ballots to all Michigan residents ahead of this years elections.

The Vote By Mail notification connects Facebook users to information about how to request a ballot. It is targeted to voters in states where no excuse is needed to vote by mail or where fears of the coronavirus are accepted as a universal excuse. In working to facilitate voting by mail during the pandemic, the company is stepping into politically sensitive ground. Of particular concern heading into November are foreign influence operations, reliant on bogus social media accounts, aimed at swaying opinion. Facebook said that two days before the 2018 elections, it dismantled more than 100 accounts linked to the same operation.

DETROIT In a tweet Wednesday, President Trump threatened to hold up funding to Michigan, claiming the Secretary of State was illegally sending absentee ballots to all voters. Michigan is not sending absentee ballots to 7.7 million people ahead of elections this year. On Tuesday, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced the state would send applications to vote by mail to every registered voter, not a ballot. Congress included $400 million in election funding in a previous coronavirus relief bill, but estimates of the total cost to expand mail voting and make in-person voting safer have run as high as $4 billion. Related: AP Fact Check: President Trumps rhetoric on voter fraud is misleadingAfter review, we've found this claim is Not True.

DETROIT The Michigan Secretary of State is sending applications to all Michigan voters to vote by mail for the upcoming August and November elections. Additionally, some jurisdictions are mailing applications to all local registered voters. The Michigan Department of States Bureau of Elections has ensured all remaining registered voters receive an application. The vast majority of voters across the political spectrum want the option to vote by mail, said Benson. Mailing applications to all registered voters is one of the ways that we are ensuring Michigans elections will continue to be safe, accurate and secure.You can register to vote in Michigan right here.