Expect Michigan's presidential primary results later than usual

Michigan's Secretary of State, Jocelyn Benson says that's because of the surge of absentee ballots the state is seeing this election.

WE ARE LESS THAN A WEEK AWAYFROM MICHIGAN'S PRIMARY.BUT TODAY..

STATE OFFICIALS AREALERTING THE PUBLIC TO EXPECTELECTION RESULTS...LATER THAN USUAL THIS YEAR.FOX 47'S NICOLE BUCHMANN, TELLSUS WHY.TUESDAY'S PRIMARY MARKS THEFIRST MAJOR ELECTION TO ALLOWABSENTEE VOTING WITHOUT NEEDINGAREASON....AND IT'S SHOWING...JOCELYN BENSON, SECRETARY OFSTATEWE HAVE SEEN A SIGNIFICANTINCREASE IN APPLICATIONS FORABSENTEE BALLOTSAS OF TODAY....MORE THAN A HALFA MILLION ABSENTEE BALLOTS HAVEALREADY BEEN CAST....THAT'S AN 80 PERCENT INCREASESINCE THE 20-16 PRIMARYELECTION.STATE OFFICALS SAY, AN INCREASEIN ABSENTEE BALLOTS, MEANS ANINCREASE IN WORKLOADFOR CLERKS ON ELECTION DAY."FOR THIS REASON, UNOFFICIALRESULTS MAY BE AVAILABLE ALITTLE LATER THAN WE MAY WANT OREXPECT"BENSON SAYS THE INDIVIDUALPRECINCTS AREN'T GOING TO SLOWDOWN THE PROCESS... ABSENTEEBALLOT COUNTING MIGHT.WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS YEAR, ISTHAT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OFVOTERS WILL BE VOTING CENTRALLY,NOT ATTHOSE PRECINCTS.

AND THOSETALLIES THAT YOU ARE GOING TO BEGETTING IN PRECINCT ARE GOING TOBE EVEN LESS REPRESENTED OF THEUNIVERSAL VOTES BEING CASTSBECAUSE SIGNIFICANTLY MOREBALLOTS ARE GOING TO BE SENT TOA CENTRAL LOCATION AND COUNTEDTHERE.IN PREPARATION FOR THISINCREASE, THE CITY OF LANSING ISSCHEDULING MORE PEOPLE TOWORKING ELECTION NIGHT.CHRIS SWOPE, LANSING CITY CLERKWE ARE GOING TO WORK THROUGHTHINGS AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN TOGET THE RESULTS IN.

WE WILL BETOTALLY TRANSPARENT.

IF WE ARESTILL PROCESSING BALLOTS, WE'LLSAY WHERE WE ARE AND HOW MANY WEHAVE PROCESSED AND HOW MANY WEHAVE TO GO, IT'S ONLY FAIR.

ASSTATE AND CITY OFFICIALS PREPAREFOR TUESDAY'S INCREASEDWORKLOAD, THEY ARE ALSOLOOKING AHEAD TO HOW TO QUICKENTHE PROCESS.BENSON IS CALLING ON THEMICHIGAN LEGISLATURE TO CHANGETHE LAW TO ALLOW CLERKS TOASSEMBLEABSENTEE BALLOTS 75 DAYS BEFORETHE ELECTION....RATHER THAN 60DAYS.I AM HOPEFUL THAT TUESDAY WILLSHOW EVEN MORE WHY THATADDITIONAL TIME IS NECESSARY FORMOVING FORWARD WITH OURELECTIONS AND THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT THAT WILL BE ON OUR STATETHROUGHOUT THE YEAR.FOR FOX 47 NEWS... I'M NICOLEBUCHMANNBENSON DID NOT GIVE AN EXACTTIME OR ESTIMATE OF HOW MUCHLONGER IT WILL TAKE TOGET TUESDAY'S RESULTS... BUT SHESAYS WE SHOULD EXPECT TO SEETHEMON WEDNESDAY.ACCORDING TO THE SECRETARY OFSTATE'S OFFICE..

AS OF NOON..NEARLY 16-THOUSANDMICHIGANANDERS HAVE CHOSEN TOHAVE THEIR ABSENTEE BALLOTSDISREGARDED.THAT NUMBER COULD BE DIRECTLYRELATED TO THE SEVERALDEMOCRATICPRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES DROPPINGOUT OF THE RACE..

BEFOREMICHIGAN'SPRIMARY.THE OFFICE SAYS..

THEY EXPECTTHAT NUMBER TO CONTINUE TO RIS