LANSING, Mich. — Late Monday evening, the Michigan Secretary alerted the public, via Twitter and a statement on their website, saying that they will be temporarily closing their doors in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The decision to close all branches is in accordance with Governor Gretchen Whitmer's stay-at-home order earlier today. Michigan residents can go online for many services and make appointments for a future visit (subject to cancellation) at http://Michigan.gov/SOS.
In addition to the closure of all branches for at least three weeks, the Secretary of state will also be mailing out all absent voter ballot applications to all registered voters looking to vote in the May 5 election. President Donald Trump said earlier today in his press conference with the Coronavirus taskforce that the date for updating Real-ID requirements will get pushed back. No new date has been announced at this time.
“Our country has a long history of carrying out elections in times of crisis, and we are fortunate to have the tools to uphold that history today,” said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson via a statement released on Michigan.gov “Voting by mail protects public health, is highly accessible, and was clearly mandated by Michiganders when they overwhelmingly voted in 2018 to amend our state constitution and afford everyone this right.”
As information regarding this virus continues to rapidly change, the latest information can be found at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
