Top Michigan official: We should be prepared for election week instead of Election Day

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) said Sunday that getting the results of the general election could take an entire week instead of just one day.

“We should be prepared for this to be closer to an election week as opposed to an Election Day. The bottom line is we are not going to have the full results and a counting of all of our ballots on election night,” Benson said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “We’ve asked the legislature to make changes to the law to give us more ability to be prepared and count those ballots more efficiently. They have not acted for reasons that I don’t fully, completely understand.”

Benson said her office is increasing tabulators and capacity to more efficiently and securely count ballots, adding that she is “laser-focused” on accuracy.

“And if it takes a few extra days to ensure we have a full and accurate counting of the results of every race, that’s what it’s going to take. And we’re going to be transparent throughout that whole process to make sure every citizen knows exactly where we are in the counting process and how many more ballots we have to get through,” she added.

“Are you concerned that people may take the delay in getting all the results in Michigan to declare a phony winner?” host Chuck Todd asked.

“Yes,” Benson replied. “But to me that’s just going to be another example of the type of misinformation and disinformation that we’re seeing multiple ways from multiple platforms and voices in this election cycle.”

“So we’re going to counter that misinformation with truth and accuracy,” she added.

President Trump last month claimed that it could take months for the election to be decided.

During an interview with “Axios on HBO,” he reiterated his claims that mail-in voting leads to fraud and said that it will be “massively bigger” this year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“Now because of the China virus, we’re supposed to stay home, send millions of ballots all over the country. Millions and millions,” Trump said. “You know, you could have a case where this election won’t be decided on the evening of Nov. 3. This election could be decided two months later.”