Ballot Curing Emerges as New Election Tactic in Michigan Campaigns

Hamtramck Leads State in Cured Absentee Ballots

Hamtramck, Michigan — When Hamtramck voters headed to the polls last November, something unusual happened. In a city of less than 28,000 people where only 4,747 ballots were cast, 120 voters returned to fix signature problems on their absentee ballot envelopes. That was more than 2 percent of all voters in the city taking the extra step to ensure their votes would count.

The same election in neighboring Detroit saw only 72 voters cure their ballots out of more than 115,000 cast.

The difference between the two cities came down to one thing: campaign effort.

Campaigns Make It Their Mission

In Hamtramck, both mayoral campaigns launched aggressive efforts to track down voters whose signatures had issues on their absentee ballot envelopes and convince them to fix the problems.

"We knocked doors, we called people," said Muhith Mahmood, a candidate in the race. "If somebody knows that person, they call them, they knock on their door."

Mahmood noted that the cured ballots ultimately helped his opponent, now-Mayor Adam Alharbi, more than they helped him in the tight race that was decided by just 11 votes.

"I just tried to do the right thing, to make sure people are heard," Mahmood said.

Several voters told reporters they learned about their signature problems not from city officials, but from family members and neighbors who had heard the campaigns were trying to help.

"I think the campaigns were calling old ladies out of their beds," joked Abe Siblani, Hamtramck's deputy city clerk.

A New Tool, Old Strategy

The ability to cure ballots with missing or mismatched signatures came into Michigan law with the passage of Ballot Proposal 2 in 2022. Under the new rules, if election workers determine that a signature on an absentee ballot envelope does not match what is on file for that voter, the voter has until 5 p.m. on the Friday following the election to fix it and have their vote counted.

Campaigns and political organizations have long worked to get voters to cure their ballots in states where the practice is allowed. In Arizona, parties have done this for more than a decade.

"It's a lot of work, but it makes a difference," said Charlene Fernandez, chair of the Arizona Democratic Party. She pointed to the 2022 attorney general race in her state, where Democrats worked to cure thousands of ballots and Democrat Kris Mayes won by just 511 votes.

"It was a matter of hundreds," Fernandez said. "Not thousands. They all mattered."

What Does Curing Look Like?

The need for ballot curing stems from the fact that absentee voters must sign their ballot envelopes. Those signatures are checked against the ones election officials have on file as a deterrent against fraud.

When election officials determine that a signature does not match what is on file, or that a voter forgot to sign the envelope altogether, Michigan clerks have an obligation to notify that voter immediately.

For some voters, that notification prompts them to go to their clerk's office and fix their signature. But campaigns find that is not quite enough for every voter.

Curing in Michigan requires voters to fill out a form supplying their signature and return it to their clerk in person or via mail or email. If their signature does not match what is on file, they can check a box affirming that their signature has changed over time.

Not Everyone Is On Board

Not everyone thinks ballot curing is a good idea. Some believe cured ballots can be ripe for abuse.

Former Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, a Republican, said it was critical that states that allow ballot curing ensure it is applied evenly across the board by local officials. He warned that there is a perception that curing can be used by decision makers to target certain voters more likely to support their preferred candidate to boost their odds.

"There is a perception that they use this opportunity to get those ballots turned in after the election for their candidate to either catch up or extend their lead," Merrill said.

Alabama does not have a curing process, and Merrill said he did not advocate for it while secretary.

The Potential for Statewide Impact

The Hamtramck example shows the untapped potential for ballot curing in Michigan political campaigns across the state. With upcoming elections at all levels of government, campaigns and political parties may increasingly use this tool to squeeze out every last vote from their supporters.

The ability to cure ballots after an election gives campaigns an additional avenue to ensure their supporters' votes count, particularly in close races where every vote matters.

As Michigan enters its next election cycle, the Hamtramck mayoral race serves as a preview of what could come in statewide contests.