A voters’ rights organization aimed at protecting American elections has requested data from several Michigan departments to determine the possibility of illegal votes counted in the 2020 election.
True the Vote, which is aimed at ensuring election integrity, has requested data from the Michigan Department of State, Michigan Department of Corrections and Wayne, Washtenaw and Ingham Counties.
“Despite media outlets having called the elections in Michigan, the fact remains that the ballot counting process was rife with credible complaints of maleficence, mismanagement, and potentially illegal action,” said True the Vote Founder and President Catherine Engelbrecht in a statement. “…Given the widespread problems with mail-in ballots and legitimate complaints throughout the ballot-counting process, we believe it is critical to ensure that before the Michigan elections are certified on December 8, all due diligence is carried out to nullify any illegal votes and guarantee that every legal ballot submitted on or before Election Day is counted. Regardless of the outcome or ultimate victor of this process, we have a basic obligation to follow the law and uphold the tenet of our Constitution that guarantees the right to vote to every law-abiding American citizen.”
Michigan was called for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, who currently has 50.6% of the vote, or 2,790,648 votes, according to data from The Associated Press. President Trump trails behind at 47.9% of the votes, or 2,644,525 votes.
Using Michigan’s public record laws, True the Vote has requested poll books, voter registration lists, driver license and state ID records, information about voters contacted to “cure” rejected ballots, citizen complaints about election integrity, and records of mail-in, absentee, provisional and limited ballots.
“Despite reports that Vice President Joe Biden has already ‘won’ the election, there is credible evidence of widespread malfeasance in Michigan and elsewhere that could have led to a substantial number of illegal votes,” said True the Vote Legal Counsel James Bopp, Jr. of The Bopp Law Firm, PC, in a statement. “Every vote in the impacted states should be verified to ensure that Americans get the President they actually chose. Regardless of the outcome, the results of the 2020 election should not be decided until known irregularities have been fully addressed. True the Vote’s investigation will shed needed light on active threats to the integrity of our elections.”
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has repeatedly pushed back on claims of voter fraud in the state.
As efforts to spread false allegations about the integrity of our elections increase in volume and frequency, continue to seek out facts and data from trustworthy sources.
We'll keep posting facts @MichSoS and https://t.co/GL4JcYiFIK
Also see @CISAgov at https://t.co/cLGo7pNDT3 https://t.co/lrV8WdeJEB
— Jocelyn Benson (@JocelynBenson) November 9, 2020
The department also released a statement in response to allegations of voter fraud from the Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, who said there were “irregularities” in the ballot count.
“I want to let this play out and allow the lawyers to look at this, but, it is not something that is little, so, be patient,” McDaniel said last week, according to Fox News. “What is disconcerting is the amount of Democrat-run counties and precincts in the country where Republicans were not allowed to observe here in Michigan. I have hundreds of witnesses who talk about being disenfranchised, being removed from counting centers as elections workers cheered as they were removed.”
The Secretary of State department said those claims were false.
The state of Michigan has five days to respond to the request from True the Vote, although it may obtain a 10-day extension.
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Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Ohio Star. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair.
Photo “Ballots” by Davidson County Election Commission.
