Bill Would Help Make Sure Troops' Votes Count DEARBORN, MI (Michigan Radio) - County clerks in southeast Michigan say the state needs to revamp the way it handles ballots for people serving in the military overseas.

Right now, state law requires ballots to be sent by mail to and from voters overseas. Macomb County Clerk Carmella Sabaugh says that often means long delays that can prevent ballots from being counted on Election Day.

"We actually had 29 percent of the ballots that were sent out to the military did not get counted," Sabaugh said. "So out of 774, 222 never came back."

Legislation set for introduction in the state House would allow clerks to send ballots electronically to any Michigan voter who is out of the country. The ballots would still have to be sent back by mail. But supporters of the legislation say it would greatly improve the chances of ballots getting back to Michigan in time to be counted.

U.S. Air Force Sergeant Laura Rios has served 26 years in the military - almost half of it overseas. She says she's experienced first-hand the frustration of the current system.

"My ballot came the day of the election," she said, "and it surely ain't getting back by the time it needed to be back."

A report released earlier this year by the Pew Center on the States said Michigan's current process takes 57 days for overseas troops. By comparison, New Mexico's process - which allows ballots to be sent and received electronically - takes about eight days.

Contact Sarah Hulett at sarahhu@umich.edu © Copyright 2009, Michigan Radio