Michiganders need a Secretary of State focused on Michigan, not furthering their own personal political agenda.
August 20, 2020
Benson Set To Speak At DNC While Secretary of State Appointments Are Not Available Until December And January
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is set to deliver remarks on the virtual campaign trail at tonight’s DNC convention while at the same time, Michiganders wait months to visit their local Secretary of State’s office for services that require in-person appointments like first-time driver’s licenses or state ID cards, vehicle title transfers, and replacement licenses, among others.
Benson’s 2018 campaign promise was to implement a thirty-minute guarantee for branch office visits and in December 2019, Benson said her goal was achieved as long as you make an appointment. MLive reported that Benson said “the state will expand appointments and make them available on the same day somebody goes to book one” in 2020.
A search today on the Secretary of State’s website for an appointment in Southeastern Michigan – whether in advance or same-day – turned up bleak results. The first available appointments at many locations are in December 2020 or January 2021.
The first available appointments for Southeast Michigan branch office are as follows:
- Novi: January 5, 2021
- Sterling Heights: January 4, 2021
- Detroit: December 29, 2020
- Oak Park: December 28, 2020
- Rochester Hills: December 23, 2020
- Southfield: December 17, 2020
- Shelby Township: December 16, 2020
- Livonia: December 16, 2020
- Pontiac: December 15, 2020
- Howell: December 11, 2020
- Clarkston: December 10, 2020
- Flint: December 7, 2020
Secretary Benson is focused on national politics while Michiganders wait months to make an appointment to receive a state ID or driver’s license. Michiganders need a Secretary of State focused on Michigan, not furthering their own personal political agenda. – Tori Sachs, executive director of Michigan Rising Action