An investigative team of volunteers has completed a review of absentee ballot envelopes from Detroit’s November 2020 election, uncovering a substantial shortfall in required documentation.
The team obtained nearly one million election-related documents—including absentee ballot applications, envelopes, ballots, poll books, and precinct tapes—through a successful Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the City of Detroit and Wayne County. Volunteers digitized and organized the material for analysis.
Michigan law mandates that each absentee ballot be placed in a sealed envelope bearing the voter’s signature, date, and an official clerk’s time‑stamp. The envelope must also display a ballot number that matches the number on the ballot inside, establishing a chain of custody.
Researchers entered data from each envelope into a database, linking the name and address on the envelope to the corresponding record in the November and December 2020 Qualified Voter Files. Each entry was reviewed multiple times to ensure accuracy before being matched to the voter’s registration and voting history.
The official city report listed 174,384 absentee ballots counted toward Detroit’s total of 250,219 votes. However, the FOIA fulfillment provided only 155,487 absentee envelopes. After exhaustive cross‑checking, the investigation confirmed that 26,901 absentee ballots were counted without the legally required accompanying envelopes.
This discrepancy represents roughly 15.4 % of the absentee ballots processed in Detroit. If a similar rate occurred in other Michigan municipalities, the cumulative effect could influence election outcomes in close races.
Further examination revealed multiple irregularities among the envelopes, including inconsistent label styles, incorrect or misspelled addresses, missing or improperly dated clerk’s stamps, and signatures that appeared to be signed on the same day the envelopes were received—a scenario deemed unlikely given postal delays during the pandemic.
The next phase of the project will involve matching signatures on ballot envelopes with those on absentee applications, employing professional handwriting analysis to verify authenticity.
The investigative team intends to submit its findings to the appropriate state and local election authorities for review and possible action.
