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GOP leaders file notice they will appeal ballot decision

"Mounds of Absentee Ballots" by lancefisher is licensed with CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

The court fight over absentee voting in Michigan is not over. Republican leaders say they’ve filed a notice today (THU) that an appeal of the latest court ruling is on the way.

The formal notice from the Legislature’s GOP leaders says they will challenge a Michigan Court of Claims decision. They want the state Court of Appeals to say the judge stepped out of bounds when she ruled absentee ballots that arrive after Election Day must be counted. The judge said ballots postmarked by November 2nd that arrive within 14 days must be tallied.

The GOP position is ballots that arrive after the polls close were returned too late to be counted, says Senate Republican spokeswoman Amber McCann.

“This is an issue that certainly will have an impact on the November 3rd elections,” said McCann. 

No matter what happens, the case will almost certainly go to the state Supreme Court before it’s all settled.