The decision, which follows conversations with the public, reflects widespread demand for enhanced security measures. "It's an added security feature where there's an imprint on the fibers of our ballots, where, when you hold it up to the light, you can see that imprint, and it will say, you know, 'official ballot,'" Kent County Clerk Lisa Posthumus Lyons told local ABC News affiliate WZZM 13. Kent County, the fourth largest in the state with a population of 661,354, is expected to be a key battleground in Michigan. "A ballot isn't simply just a photocopy of a paper," Posthumus Lyons continued. "It's something that we work with programming to make sure the ballots are programmed to be tabulated correctly. So, ballots are, you know, they're on official stock, and we want to make sure that the voters have an opportunity to really sense that and feel that and know that. That's why we're introducing watermarks on the ballots for the first time coming up this November election." The move to add watermarks comes in the wake of conspiracy theories that circulated around the 2020 election. Some reports falsely claimed that federal authorities used watermarked ballots in a sting operation to identify counterfeit ballots and overturn the election in favor of former President Donald Trump. While those theories were debunked, the idea of watermarked ballots has since gained traction among voters seeking additional safeguards. At an additional cost of just one cent per ballot, the new measure will increase printing expenses by approximately $6,000, a price county officials consider worthwhile. "That's a very worthy expenditure to make when we're talking about the public trust in the process, and when we're talking about ensuring security and integrity," Posthumus Lyons said. "I just want to do everything we can to give the public confidence in this process and the outcome of their election," she added. "And if we can put watermarks on our ballots so the voters can ensure that those are official ballots that they are casting their votes on, that's, I think, a very good thing."Kent County, Michigan, will introduce watermarked ballots for the upcoming November election, a move designed to bolster public confidence in the integrity of the voting process.
