According to the Elections Officials’ Manual published by the Michigan Bureau of Elections, determining the legality of absentee ballots is an “optional step” for election counting boards in Michigan.
“Determine the legality of the ballot by checking the signature on the absentee ballot return envelope against the voter’s absent voter ballot application and checking the ePollbook to confirm that the voter has not voted in person at the election (these steps are optional for AVCBs),” reads the manual (pg. 4).
Interestingly, although not clear how long this specific guidance has been in place, the chapter on processing absentee ballots is marked “updated October 2020” – which would put it at just one month prior to the November 3rd election.