A flurry of phone calls greeted the cheery statement by a Michigan Secretary of State spokesperson that, last week, the office sent software updates to local clerks in preparation for early in-person voting starting on Feb. 17.

But no, the clerks hadn’t received what was promised from the Bureau of Elections, they told us.

No, the Qualified Voter File had not been updated, they said.

And yes, they were worried about the rollout of the state’s first crack at early in-person voting, given their now-pinched training schedule and a lack of clear and timely information from the state.

“They had a year to do this,” one lamented. Why was it coming down to the wire?

It’s worth wondering, as Michigan voters overwhelmingly approved Proposal 2 in November 2022. Nearly 60 percent of Michigan voters wanted voter IDs; nine days of early voting; and expanded absentee voting, tracking and audits enshrined in the state’s constitution.

Early voting was the biggest lift, as many of the other parts of Proposal 2 refined or codified existing statutes.

But this lift is only getting heavier as we draw closer to Feb. 17, and the Bureau of Elections continues to have a large to-do list — which isn’t fair to our local election officials who need the time to train on the new systems.

But we’re also concerned with the incorrect messaging, as in this time — of all times — election procedures must be clear and forthright.

A haze of mis- and dis-information continues to hover over elections, like hot-air fog. Add to that the squall of voting legislation changes in the last three years in 37 states, and there could be a lot of confusion swirling around these proceedings.

The last thing we need is our elections spokespeople over-promising and under-delivering because, as we know, in this climate, mistrust easily leads to misinformation.

Elections are built on trust, but a trust that sits firmly on a foundation of truth, transparency and accountability.

Our Secretary of State’s Bureau of Elections needs to be clear on how ready and capable they are for early voting.

— Traverse City Record-Eagle