To accommodate overseas voters, Michigan changes start dates for local officials

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed bipartisan legislation that delays when newly elected local officials can assume office, ensuring all ballots are counted before they take their positions. Previously, many local officials took office immediately after Election Day, which meant ballots from military members and overseas voters arriving within the legally permitted six-day window after elections were sometimes not factored into final results. The new laws require local officials to wait until at least noon on the first day of the month following their election and until results are officially certified before being sworn in.