Oakland County voters to receive prepaid return envelopes with absentee ballots in fall

For some Michigan voters, the cost of postage can be the difference between casting a ballot and exclusion from civic duty. That's an especially problematic predicament this year, as people weigh the risks of voting in person during a pandemic. 

But in Oakland County this fall, anyone who requests an absentee ballot will also receive a pre-paid return envelope, the county Board of Commissioners announced Monday. 

“By covering the postage cost to send back voters’ ballots, we’ve removed a final barrier to make it easier for everyone to choose and vote by mail," Board Chairman David Woodward, D-Royal Oak, said in a news release. 

The county set aside up to $575,000 in federal aid provided to combat the coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19. 

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The move by Oakland County could prompt similar decisions across the state, argue voting access advocates. Sterling Heights has made the same decision.

"If our second largest county—with nearly one million registered voters—can agree to provide prepaid return postage on mailed ballots, other jurisdictions in Michigan must do the same. Voting by mail should not be a privilege for only those who can afford it, particularly amid a pandemic," Aghogho Edevbie, state director for advocacy for the organization All Voting is Local, said in a news release.  

As of last week, more than 300,000 Oakland County voters had requested absentee ballots. While voters may use drop boxes, go to a clerk's office or eventually decide to vote in person, roughly 80,000 people have already mailed back their primary ballots. 

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In 2018, Michigan approved a measure that allows anyone who's registered to vote to request an absentee ballot for any reason. This move, coupled with coronavirus fears, has resulted in more than 1.8 million people asking for absentee ballots ahead of the Aug. 4 primary, according to data from by Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. 

Benson's office already mailed absentee ballot applications to all 7.7 million registered voters in the state. While this package included a prepaid return envelope for the application, one is not included with the actual absentee ballot. 

Oakland commissioners noted many people end up using two stamps on a ballot, at a cost of $1.10, to ensure their vote is counted. 

The news release stated Oakland is the first county in the state to offered prepaid return envelopes for absentee ballots in the general election, slated for Nov. 3.

Contact Dave Boucher at dboucher@freepress.com or 313-938-4591. Follow him on Twitter @Dave_Boucher1.