Michigan Primary Votes Rejected Due to Crossover Voting Errors

Thousands of partisan votes in Michigan's August primary elections are likely to be rejected due to crossover voting, a practice where voters select candidates from more than one party on a single ballot. While electronic tabulators alert in-person voters to these errors, absentee voters often remain unaware that their selections have been invalidated.

Data from 2022 highlights the scale of the issue, with Macomb County seeing nearly 6,300 partisan votes rejected and Washtenaw County recording approximately 1,400 rejections. Lawrence Kestenbaum, the Washtenaw County Clerk, noted that these problems would not exist if the regular primary were conducted like the presidential primary.

The Center for Civic Design attributes the errors to poor ballot design, citing small text and inadequate spacing between party columns. Director Whitney Quesenbery argued that ballot language is written by lawyers rather than communication experts. Livingston County clerk Elizabeth Hundley added that the process can be a source of confusion, though she emphasized voter responsibility.

Responses to the crisis vary among officials. While some county clerks are calling for legislative changes to better reflect the will of the voters, State Representative Penelope Tsernoglou suggested that increased voter education may be necessary before the state alters existing laws.