As Michigan prepares for the November 3 General Election, a new resource is helping voters understand an important part of our election system: local clerks run our elections.

los Michigan Clerks’ Bill of Rights, developed by Todas las votaciones son locales. in collaboration with local clerks, lays out 10 rights and responsibilities of Michigan clerks under state and federal law. It was created in response to growing pressure on election officials, misinformation about how elections work, and attempts to interfere with established election administration.

The resource is meant for voters as well as election officials and local elected officials. For voters, understanding what clerks are responsible for can make it easier to know where to get accurate information, who has authority over different parts of an election, and what protections are already built into Michigan election law.

Politicians don’t run our elections. Local clerks run our elections.

Michigan has a decentralized election system. Local clerks carry out many of the responsibilities that make voting possible in communities across the state, while the Michigan Secretary of State serves as the state’s chief election official and supervises local election officials in the performance of their election duties.

Clerks’ responsibilities include managing election equipment, helping appoint and train election inspectors, making sure polling locations are accessible, preparing for Election Day, administering absentee voting and early voting, overseeing vote tabulation, maintaining voter registration records, and providing voters with accurate election information.

Those responsibilities matter every election. They are especially important when voters are hearing conflicting information about who has authority over elections or what election officials can and cannot do.

What are the 10 rights and responsibilities?

The Michigan Clerks’ Bill of Rights identifies 10 areas where the law establishes responsibilities and authority for clerks:

1. Clerks are responsible for running elections in Michigan.
2. Clerks have a right and a duty to dismiss unlawful or impermissible challenges.
3. Clerks have the right to a lawful certification process conducted by the County Board of Canvassers.
4. Clerks have the right and duty to properly register voters and maintain voter rolls, including rejecting voter registration challenges that do not meet legal requirements.
5. Clerks have the right and duty to protect voting equipment, data, and ballots.
6. Clerks have a right to secure voting systems and a duty to follow state law.
7. Clerks have the right to oversee vote tabulation.
8. Clerks and election workers have the right to a safe workplace and a duty to create a safe environment for staff and voters.
9. Clerks have the right and duty to access and share accurate information with voters.
10. Clerks have the right and duty to deny improper recounts or audits.

These aren’t new powers created by the document. The Clerks’ Bill of Rights brings together responsibilities and protections already established through Michigan and federal law, administrative rules, and Michigan Secretary of State guidance.

What does this mean for voters?

Some of the protections described in the Clerks’ Bill of Rights directly affect what happens when you register and vote.

For example, not every challenge to a voter’s eligibility is legally valid. Michigan law establishes procedures for voter challenges, and election officials are required to reject challenges that do not meet those requirements.

The resource also explains that clerks have responsibilities for protecting voting equipment, voter data, and ballots from unauthorized access and for following Michigan’s established procedures for counting votes.

It also addresses safety. Federal and Michigan laws prohibit voter intimidation, and election officials have authority and responsibilities for maintaining order and protecting access to voting locations.

And when voters encounter conflicting claims about an election, your local clerk is an important source for accurate information about voting in your community.

Accurate election information matters

Misinformation about elections can create confusion about whether people can vote, how ballots are counted, and whether election results can be trusted.

The Clerks’ Bill of Rights specifically identifies accurate voter information as part of a clerk’s responsibility. It says clerks should not share unverified information and should work to be trusted sources of accurate information for voters.

For the November 3 election, Michigan voters still have multiple ways to cast their ballot.

All registered Michigan voters can vote absentee. Absentee ballots become available September 24. Michigan voters also have nine days of early voting beginning October 24, and voters can vote at their polling place on Election Day.

Voters can use mi.gov/voto to check their registration, find their local clerk, find voting information for their community, and get information about absentee voting.

Supporting the people who administer our elections

The Michigan Clerks’ Bill of Rights isn’t only a resource for voters.

It was also developed to support election officials facing increased scrutiny, misinformation, operational challenges, and attempts to interfere with their legal responsibilities. The document gives clerks a reference they can use to explain what the law requires them to do and where their authority comes from.

It can also be useful to local elected officials and community organizations that communicate with voters. Understanding the role of local clerks helps trusted messengers direct people to accurate information about voting and election administration.

All Voting is Local and its partners have shared more than 1,000 copies of the Michigan Clerks’ Bill of Rights with local clerks and nonpartisan civic engagement organizations throughout Michigan, according to information shared with VAAC.

Read and share the Michigan Clerks’ Bill of Rights

As voting begins for the November election, voters should know who runs their elections, where to get accurate information, and what safeguards govern the process.

Local clerks run our elections. They have responsibilities to voters, and they also have legal authority and protections that allow them to carry out those responsibilities.

Leer el Michigan Clerks’ Bill of Rights to learn more about the laws, responsibilities, and protections behind the work local election officials do.

You can also request physical copies of the Michigan Clerks’ Bill of Rights to share with clerks, organizations, and people in your community.