Tagged: secretary of state

A mainframe computer system problem that interrupted business at Michigan Secretary of State offices was fixed.

Now the Secretary of State offices will hold extended hours to sort through a backlog.

From the Associated Press:

Secretary of state branches across Michigan are extending their hours through Monday after a computer system problem interrupted transactions over the past several days.

State officials say it will take time to address the backlog created by the outage, which suspended operations for parts of this past Monday and Wednesday and nearly all of Thursday.

As a result, branch offices will stay open later on Friday, Saturday and Monday.

The secretary of state's office also says late fees will be waived for affected customers coming into branches through the end of business on May 27.

The office has alerted law enforcement that some customers were unable to renew their vehicle tabs or driver's licenses during the computer outage.

The Michigan Department of Management, Budget and Technology says the computer outage affecting Secretary of State branch offices will not be fixed before the close of business today.

A spokesman says technicians will work through the night, if necessary, to fix the problems.

The shutdown of a mainframe computer also prevents State Police troopers from conducting license and vehicle checks, but not from issuing tickets.

Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson delivered what she says was the first-ever "State of the Secretary of State" speech in Lansing.

It's a speech Johnson says she plans to deliver the speech every year she is in office, "because I think there’s so much information and so many good things that are happening and I want people to know where we’re at, and where we’re going," said Johnson, "so you can judge – are we doing a good job or not?"

In the speech, Johnson said she is cutting costs in the Department of State.