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Michigan opens portal for overseas military voters to return ballots electronically

LANSING — Michigan voters serving in the military away from home have a new way to return their ballots starting this week. With the launch of the Electronic Delivery and Return Portal, these voters will have the option to fill out their ballot and return it all electronically through a secure online portal. It’s a small step for a state that, compared with many others, strictly limits who can return ballots electronically. Michigan previously required all voters covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, or UOCAVA to return their ballots only by mail. In ...

Pocket guides on election laws offer bridge between election officials, law enforcement

LANSING — As election officials continue to face threats, harassment and abuse, a bipartisan coalition of election experts and law enforcement officials is working to build collaboration in hopes of protecting voters, elections and their administrators from bad actors. The Committee for Safe and Secure Elections, created in 2022, is offering a number of new resources for both election officials and law enforcement officers, including pocket-sized legal guides detailing election laws in all 50 states, giving both groups an easily accessible reference should questions – or issues – ...

Detroit judge springs jailed Chinese scientist

DETROIT — A young Chinese scientist interrogated for hours after an international flight to Detroit and held in jail for three months was sentenced to time served Wednesday for illegally shipping biological material to the U.S. that nonetheless wasn't a threat to the public. U.S. District ...

Administrators warn of serious consequences for schools if lawmakers don’t reach budget deal soon

LANSING — With less than three weeks until a government shutdown, marking 72 days since the Legislature’s July 1 budget deadline, Michigan school superintendents and administrators took the Legislature to task over their failure to reach a consensus on the budget. The stalled budget talks between the House and Senate have left Michigan schools in uncertain territory with the threat of closures on the horizon. On Wednesday, members of the Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators and the Michigan Alliance for Student Opportunity met in Lansing to highlight how the ...

Lansing plans pod city for homeless

LANSING (AP) — As local governments across Michigan attempt to balance the growing need for homeless services with community concerns, one is planning a novel approach: mini housing pods. The city of Lansing last month approved the purchase and storage of 50 modular housing units — ...

Driver gets year in jail for hitting cyclists in Arizona

PHOENIX (AP) — A driver who crashed into a group of bicyclists in suburban Phoenix, killing two of them and injuring several others, was sentenced Thursday to one year in jail. Pedro Quintana-Lujan pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by moving vehicle and 10 counts of causing ...