(The Center Square) – The Michigan Department of State claims the state’s elections are “more accurate than ever,” but some are pushing back on that assertion.
This comes after the state Office of Auditor General released a report examining “selected procedures” used by the department to maintain accurate voter roles.
kAms6AFEJ $64C6E2CJ @7 $E2E6 p89@89@ t56G3:6 A@:?E65 E@ E96 C6A@CE 2D 6G:56?46 @7 E96 36?67:ED @7 “4@>AC696?D:G6” C67@C>D 6?24E65 F?56C $64C6E2CJ @7 $E2E6 y@46=J? q6?D@?]k^Am
kAm“%96 ~pv C6A@CE AC@G:56D 6G6? >@C6 6G:56?46 E92E DE2E6 2?5 =@42= 6=64E:@? @77:4:2=D 2C6 8@:?8 23@G6 2?5 36J@?5 E@ 6?DFC6 |:49:82?’D G@E6C C@==D 2C6 4@>A=6E6[ FA E@ 52E6[ 2?5 244FC2E6[” t56G3:6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]>:49:82?]8@G^D@D^C6D@FC46D^?6HD^a_ae^_g^ag^?6H\@28\C6A@CE\277:C>D\>:49:82?D\G@E6C\C@==D\2C6\D64FC6\2?5\244FC2E6Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8mD2:5k^DEC@?8mk^2m] “~FC 56A2CE>6?E 92D :?G6DE65 D:8?:7:42?E C6D@FC46D 2?5 :>A=6>6?E65 >62?:?87F= C67@C>D E@ >2<6 @FC DJDE6> E96 36DE :? E96 ?2E:@?] (6 H:== ?6G6C DE@A H@C<:?8 E@ :>AC@G6 @FC A@=:4:6D 2?5 AC@46DD[ C6E2:?:?8 H6==\62C?65 4@?7:56?46 :? @FC DE2E6’D D64FC6[ 2446DD:3=6 6=64E:@?D]”k^Am
kAm%96 |:49:82? u2:C t=64E:@?D x?DE:EFE6[ 2 ?@?AC@7:E 6=64E:@? :?E68C:EJ 8C@FA[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]>:72:C6=64E:@?D]@C8^A@DE^>:49:82?\D\2F5:E@C\86?6C2=\5:5\?@E\D2J\G@E6C\C@==D\2C6\D64FC6\2?5\244FC2E6\H2E495@8\8C@FA\D2JDQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8mD2:5k^DEC@?8mk^2m E92E :D 2 “>:DC6AC6D6?E2E:@?” @7 E96 C6A@CE[ :?DE625 42==:?8 7@C 2 “7F==[ =682==J\4@>A=:2?E 2F5:E” 367@C6 E96 $6AE] `d 5625=:?6]k^Am
kAm“$64C6E2CJ q6?D@? F?56C6DE:>2E6D |:49:82?56CD[” !2EC:46 y@9?D@?[ 7@F?56C 2?5 492:C @7 E96 :?DE:EFE6 6I4=FD:G6=J E@=5 %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6] “$96 36=:6G6D D96 42? >2<6 72=D6 4=2:>D 23@FE E96 C6A@CE[ 2?5 ?@ @?6 H:== 3@E96C E@ 724E 4964< 96C]”k^Am
kAm%96 :?DE:EFE6’D >2:? :DDF6 H:E9 E96 C6A@CE :D :ED =:>:E65 D4@A6[ DE2E:?8 :E 5@6D ?@E 4@>A=J H:E9 |:49:82?’D =2H C6BF:C:?8 2 7F== A6C7@C>2?46 2F5:E] x?DE625[ :E D2:5 E96 C6A@CE E96 @77:46 5:5 C6=62D6 H2D ?2CC@H :? D4@A6 2?5 5:5 ?@E :?56A6?56?E=J G6C:7J E96 F?56C=J:?8 52E2 :E FD65]k^Am
kAm%96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2F586?]>:49:82?]8@G^HA\4@?E6?E^FA=@25D^a_ae^_g^Cab`_abfae]A57Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8mC6A@CEk^DEC@?8mk^2m :ED6=7 DE2E65ik^Am
kAm“~FC 6I2>:?2E:@? :D =:>:E65 :? D4@A6 2?5[ 2=E9@F89 244FC2E6 E@ E96 36DE @7 @FC <?@H=6586[ :E :D ?@E :?E6?565 E@ AC@G:56 2 7F== A6C7@C>2?46 2F5:E[” :E D2:5] “%96C67@C6[ :E H@F=5 ?@E ?646DD2C:=J 5:D4=@D6 E96 AC6D6?46 @C 23D6?46 @7 2?J >2E6C:2= @C C6A@CE23=6 4@?5:E:@?D[ 2?5 H6 5:5 ?@E 6IAC6DD 2? @A:?:@? 2D E@ E96 67764E:G6?6DD @C 677:4:6?4J @7 E96 D6=64E65 AC@465FC6D 6I2>:?65]”k^Am
kAmy@9?D@? D2:5 D96 :D 8C2E67F= E96 C6A@CE 5:D4=@D65 E92E[ 3FE 2C8F65 2 7F== 2F5:E :D C6BF:C65[ 6DA64:2==J 8:G6? “5@4F>6?E65 :CC68F=2C:E:6D” 3J E96 56A2CE>6?E]k^Am
kAm“p?JE9:?8 D9@CE @7 E92E =62G6D |:49:82?56CD H:E9@FE E96 2DDFC2?46 @FC =68:D=2E@CD H6C6 ECJ:?8 E@ AC@G:56[” y@9?D@? D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 “D6=64E65 AC@465FC6D” 6I2>:?65 3J E96 @77:46 =@@<65 DA64:7:42==J 2E 9@H E96 DE2E6’D "F2=:7:65 '@E6C u:=6[ @C G@E6C 52E232D6[ :D FA52E65 2?5 >2:?E2:?65]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 $E2E6[ E96 52E232D6 4FCC6?E=J 4@?E2:?D :?7@C>2E:@? @? >@C6 E92? g]b >:==:@? C68:DE6C65 G@E6CD]k^Am
kAm%9C@F89 E96 6I2>:?2E:@?[ E96 @77:46 7@F?5 E92E hh]hhT @7 E96 52E232D6’D 6?EC:6D H6C6 7F==J 4@>A=6E6 H:E9 2== C6BF:C65 52E2] xE 7@F?5 fb C68:DE6C65 G@E6CD F?56C E96 286 @7 `f `^a 2?5 edb @G6C E96 286 @7 `aa]k^Am
kAm“%96 >2E49 36EH66? "'u 52E2 2?5 52E2 :? E96 DE2E6VD 5C:G6C 2?5 G69:4=6 C64@C5 DJDE6> Wrp#$X 92D 5C2>2E:42==J :?4C62D65 D:?46 a_a` H:E9 hh]fT @7 E96 C64@C5D :? rp#$ :56?E:42= E@ E9@D6 :? "'u[” E96 56A2CE>6?E D2:5 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E]k^Am
kAm$:?46 a_`g[ |:49:82? 92D 2==@H65 2FE@>2E:4 G@E6C C68:DEC2E:@? 7@C 6=:8:3=6 C6D:56?ED H96? E96J 2AA=J 7@C @C C6?6H 2 5C:G6C’D =:46?D6 @C DE2E6 xs]k^Am
kAmy@9?D@? D2:5 E96 C6A@CE D9@F=5 92G6 5@?6 >@C6 – 2=D@ AFD9:?8 324< @? E96 4=2:> :E D9@HD E96 244FC24J @7 |:49:82?’D 6=64E:@?D]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 ?@ H2J @7 <?@H:?8 H:E9 2?J 46CE2:?EJ H96E96C |:49:82?’D 6=64E:@?D 2C6 ‘>@C6 244FC2E6 E92? 6G6C[’” D96 D2:5] “|utx 2?5 @E96C @C82?:K2E:@?D 92G6 :56?E:7:65 6=64E:@? :CC68F=2C:E:6D E92E D9@F=5 EC:886C :>>65:2E6 :?G6DE:82E:@?[ 3FE $64C6E2CJ q6?D@? 92D 288C6DD:G6=J C6D:DE65 2?J 2?5 2== 2EE6>AED E@ 2F5:E E96 G@E6C C@==D[ 5:D>:DD:?8 2?J BF6DE:@?D H:E9 E96 2DD6CE:@? E96 G@E6C C@==D 2C6 244FC2E6]”k^Am
kAm~? E96 7=:A D:56[ }6:= &3C:2?:[ 49:67 @7 A@=:4J 2E E96 x?DE:EFE6 7@C #6DA@?D:G6 v@G6C?>6?E[ 2AA=2F565 |:49:82? 7@C =625:?8 E96 ?2E:@? “:? 6?DFC:?8 D64FC6 6=64E:@?D H9:=6 AC@E64E:?8 2446DD E@ E96 32==@E 3@I]”k^Am
kAm“%92?<D E@ C646?E FA8C256D :>A=6>6?E65 3J E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 $E2E6[ |:49:82? FD6D E96 :?7@C>2E:@? E92E 4FDE@>6CD 2=C625J AC@G:56 5FC:?8 C@FE:?6 DE2E6 286?4J EC2?D24E:@?D 2?5 677:4:6?E=J :56?E:7:6D 2?5 C6>@G6D :?6=:8:3=6 2AA=:42?ED 7C@> 2?J G@E6C C68:DEC2E:@? AC@46DD 367@C6 :E DE2CED[” &3C:2?: D2:5] “%9:D G:E2= E@@= :D 56D:8?65 E@ 2FE@>2E:42==J 7:=E6C @FE ?@?4:E:K6?D 7C@> 2?J C68:DEC2E:@? @AA@CEF?:EJ[ 96=A:?8 E@ 6?DFC6 |:49:82?’D G@E6C C@==D C6>2:? FA E@ 52E6 2?5 244FC2E6]”k^Am
kAm%9:D 4@>6D 2>:5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E9646?E6CDBF2C6]4@>^>:49:82?^2CE:4=602f_e3c5e\3h44\cec5\g45`\_52fahh3gc2h]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8mC646?E 4@?46C?Dk^DEC@?8mk^2m 7C@> #6AF3=:42?D :? E96 DE2E6 23@FE :==682= :>>:8C2?ED G@E:?8 :? DE2E6 6=64E:@?D]k^Am
kAm%96 |:49:82? s6A2CE>6?E @7 $E2E6 5:5 ?@E C6DA@?5 E@ 2 C6BF6DE 7C@> %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6 7@C 4@>>6?E @? E96 4=2:> :E “>:DC6AC6D6?E65” E96 C6A@CE]k^Am