STATEMENT BY MACOMB COUNTY CLERK FRED MILLER

November 12, 2020

Upon learning of media reports that the Clinton Township Clerk had identified ballots cast by deceased
voters, the Macomb County Clerk and Election Department immediately began a review of available
relevant material.

That review agreed with the findings of the Clinton Township Clark’s Office that ten voters cast absentee
ballots but died before Election Day and before the ballots could be removed from processing.

Funeral homes file their death records through the State of Michigan’s Electronic Data Registration
System (EDRS). County Clerk Offices and some municipalities generate the paper death records. In
Macomb County, the County Clerk’s Vital Records division processes death records for all Macomb
County communities except Warren, Sterling Heights, and St. Clair Shores.

At the beginning of each month, Macomb County Vital Records personnel provides paper copies of
death records for deaths occurring during the preceding month to their Election Department colleagues.
Election Department personnel sort the death records by community and provide paper copies to local
clerks’ offices who are responsible for striking the corresponding records within the Qualified Voter File
(QVF) if the records had not already been cancelled. This process is repeated each month and has been
the practice in Macomb County preceding all the tenure of all current personnel. Additionally, the
Michigan Bureau of Elections also works with the Social Security Administration and the state’s Office of
Vital Records to similarly update the QVF.

In early November, the Macomb County Election Department received the October death records from
their Vital Records division colleagues. The election was November 3rd. As usual, the death records were
forwarded to local clerks’ offices. A batch of 30 death records was sent to Clinton Township on
November 6 and was received on November 9. The Clinton Township Clerk Office found that 10 of the
30 individuals had submitted absentee ballots prior to their passing. Barring the ballots being spoiled for
an unrelated reason (i.e. lack of signature verification, mismarked ballot, etc.), those ballots were
counted on Election Day because the voter record did not reflect the death of the voter.

There is no possible way to identify the ballots, let alone the votes, of the deceased as identifying ballot
numbers are printed on detachable stubs which are removed prior to tabulation to ensure the
anonymity of each voter.

State law requires counties to forward death records to locals for the purposes of striking corresponding
voter records once per month.

This situation has prompted the Macomb County Election Department to review standard practices
including timing. Recommendations for changes will be made available to the incoming Macomb County
Clerk for consideration.

###