Voters can track ballots mailed in Lansing elections

The city of Lansing is hoping to ease voters’ minds about voting absentee.

HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU... THATYOUR BALLOT WILL ARRIVE IN TIME-- IF YOU VOTE BYMAIL?TONIGHT WE'RE GETTING A FIRSTLOOK AT THE TECHNOLOGY LANSINGIS USING TOTRACK BALLOTS... AS SOON AS THEYLEAVE THE ELECTION OFFICE.FOX 47'S CODY BUTLER EXPLAINS.THE NEW BALLOT TRACKING SYSTEMALLOWS LANSING'S CITY CLERK TOSEE WHERE BALLOTS MIGHT GETSTUCKIN THE MAIL SYSTEM.I DID HAVE SOME HESITATION ABOUTVOTING ABSENTEE.THIS IS THIS FIRST TIME JULIEVANDENBOOM VOTED ABSENTEE.WE'RE TRYING MINIMIZE THE AMOUNTOF TIME WE ARE SPENDING OUT INCONTACT WITH OTHER PEOPLE.

ITJUSTSEEMED LIKE A GREAT OPPORTUNITYTO DO THAT.VANDENBOOM SAYS BEING ABLE TOTRACK HER BALLOT HELPED HERDECIDE TO TRY ABSENTEE VOTING.JUST BECAUSE YOU HEAR FOLKS THATARE WORRIED ABOUT BALLOTS NOTBEING COUNTED.

IS YOUR BALLOTGOING TO GO SIT IN A BOXSOMEWHERE AND BE OVERLOOKEDUNTIL THE DAY AFTER ELECTIONDAY?THOSE CONCERNS IS WHY LANSINGCITY CLERK CHRIS SWOPE DECIDEDTO ADD ANOTHER LAYER OFTRACKING.WE'RE ABLE TO HEAD OFF ANYPROBLEMS WITH MISSED DELIVERY.THERE ARE NOW BARCODES ON EVERYBALLOT THAT'S MAILED TO LANSINGVOTERS THAT'S TIED TO THEIRVOTERI-D.IT SCANS LIKE ANY OTHER PIECE OFMAIL AND LETS OFFICIALS KNOWWHERE IT IS.AND IF YOUR EMAIL IS ON FILE ...YOU'LL GET THOSE ALERTS TOO.WE WANT TO KNOW THE BALLOTS THEVOTERS PUT IN THE MAIL ACTUALLYMAKE IT TO US.

THAT'S A REALLYBIGPART OF ELECTION SECURITY.SWOPE SAYS WITH THIS SYSTEM ...THEY'VE ALREADY CAUGHT BALLOTSJUST SITTING AT POST OFFICE.THEY HAD BEEN IN A POST OFFICEIN PONTIAC FOR FOUR OR FIVEDAYS, SO I CONTACTED THE POSTOFFICE AND WAS LIKE 'CAN YOUFIGURE OUT WHY THESE BALLOTS AREJUST KIND OF SITTING THERE?'VANDENBOOM SAYS THIS IS CHANGINGHOW SHE VOTES IN FUTUREELECTIONS.I PUT MYSELF ON THE PERMANENTABSENTEE LIST.IF YOU ARE STILL HANGING ONTOYOUR ABSENTEE BALLOT, YOU MIGHTWANT TO GET IN THE MAIL SOONERRATHER THAN LATER TO MAKE SUREIT GETS HERE TO THE ELECTIONOFFICE ON TIME.

YOU CAN ALSODROP ITOFF 24 HOURS A DAY AT DROP BOXESTHROUGHOUT THE CITY.

IN LANSING,CHRIS SWOPE SAYS... THE EXTRATRACKING ISN'T COSTING THE CITYANY EXTRA MONEY.THAT'S BECAUSE... BALLOTS ARENOW MAILED USING NON-PROFITRATES... INSTEADOF FIRST CLASS MAIL.HE TELLS US... THE SAVINGS ISMORE THAN ENOUGH TO PAY FOR THEEXTRA FEAT