In 2018 voting by mail was made legal in Michigan for anyone who wishes to do so. | stock photo
In 2018 voting by mail was made legal in Michigan for anyone who wishes to do so. | stock photo
Michigan Sen. Ruth Johnson (R-Holly), in an opinion piece in The Detroit News, criticized Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson for sending out absentee ballot applications that Johnson said don’t require signatures verifying authenticity.
She claims they were mailed to deceased people and others unqualified to receive them. Johnson indicated that the actions of Benson, a Democrat, were undercutting accuracy in the election process and the efforts of election clerks trying to ensure it.
“Benson is making their (the clerks') jobs harder in an important election year,” Johnson wrote, according to The Detroit News.
Sen. Ruth Johnson
| #MiSenateGOP
Johnson said the Secretary of State’s actions could undermine accurate election results in Michigan, and without involvement from the public or government, are dangerous for the security of elections.
The editorial said Benson initiated new online absentee ballot applications that do not require a signature, which county clerks could check to confirm the identity of the voter.
She said Michigan law requires such a signature check, and the Secretary of State’s own election procedural manual says as much.
Johnson accused Benson of making misleading statements, in one instance during a radio interview where Benson said new software had been introduced for Michigan election clerks to compare signatures with those on paper. A state elections director denied that such software was being used.
Johnson further stated that the absentee ballot applications were sent out regardless of whether the recipient requested them, and thousands were sent to people who are deceased, have moved out of state or are not citizens.
In some cases, Johnson said noncitizens had been mailed absentee ballot applications, returned them by mail and had an absentee ballot sent to them.
She indicated the current process would erode control. “There is no way to know if people are voting in multiple states,” Johnson wrote, according to The Detroit News.
Johnson praised Michigan’s election clerks, whom she said for decades have followed the letter of the law, but indicated that “unilateral decisions” undertaken by Benson’s department amount to an end to a safe and secure voting process.
Johnson wrote on her Facebook page, "Local clerks are the experts, and their voices need to be heard this election."
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