Michigan’s Late Voter Registrations Raise Concerns about Election Integrity

In the aftermath of the primary elections, clerks in Michigan have raised concerns about several confusing voter registration anomalies.

On September 24, 2020, a city clerk in Michigan shared an intriguing incident on a Facebook page. A voter had submitted a new registration form at her office, allegedly sent by the Secretary of State (SOS).

However, the form was missing a crucial detail – the voter’s date of birth (DOB). As a result, the clerk couldn’t add the voter to the system.

The perplexed clerk sought advice from her peers on how to handle this unusual situation. Another city clerk, whose name remains undisclosed, referred to SOS Jocelyn Benson as the “Secretary of Silliness,” suggesting that the form should not have been sent in the first place. Instead, she proposed that Benson’s office rectify the application rather than requiring the applicant to make the necessary corrections.

Kari Lake says J6 was a “staged riot” by the FBI because they had informants send people into the Capitol to cover up that the election was stolen. pic.twitter.com/tvI9TH9gMs

— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) September 7, 2023

This incident was not isolated. Many clerks reported receiving late voter registrations from Benson’s Bureau of Elections.

One clerk mentioned receiving four emails from the Bureau, each containing a single registration dated back to early July. Another clerk received 15 registrations on a single day, but some were unable to be processed due to missing contact information.

On August 1, 2020, just three days before the primary election, another city clerk raised concerns about last-minute voter registrations from Benson’s Bureau of Elections.

She questioned the purpose of sending registrations with only an address and no other details. Other clerks expressed frustration about the lack of information and the pressure to respond within 24 hours.

To add to the confusion, one clerk received a box of voter registration forms from the SOS office on the eve of the election. Some of these registrations were dated back to June, raising questions about why they were held for so long.

The clerks voiced their dissatisfaction with the state’s handling of the process, stating that it made their jobs more difficult.

If saying an election is “stolen” and “rigged” is illegal then all these Democrats need to be locked up.

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— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) August 29, 2023

Lori Bourbonais, director of the Michigan Bureau of Elections, responded to these concerns. She explained that such forms should be returned to and processed by the State of Michigan.

If a form is received in person and lacks necessary information, the individual should complete a standard voter registration form. If the form is received by mail or brought in by someone else and lacks the necessary information, it can be forwarded to a specific email address.

Despite these explanations, the clerks remained frustrated. They felt they were not given advance warning or updates, leaving them unprepared when confronted with these issues.

This situation highlights the importance of transparency and effective communication in election processes to ensure integrity and public trust. As investigations continue, it remains to be seen what actions will be taken to address these concerns and improve future elections.

This article appeared in StatesmanPost and has been published here with permission.