9/23/24
Michigan Lawmakers Falling Short on 2024 Election
SM24 asked several Republican lawmakers in Michigan with reputations for caring about election integrity what needs to be done before Election Day (Nov. 5th) and who needs to do it.
Overall, their responses were disappointing. If Detroit goes sideways again like it did in 2020, or if Michigan’s elections results are fishy for any other reason, these will be some of the people to blame and to be held accountable.
SM24 gave fair warning to the lawmakers that SM24 would be naming names in this article.
We start with the lawmakers who failed to respond to SM24’s inquiries at all:
Steve Carra (R-Three Rivers)
James DeSana (R-Carleton)
Joseph Fox (R-Tecumseh)
Neil Friske (R-Petoskey)
Mike Hoadley (R-Au Gres)
Matt Maddock (R-Milford)
Angela Rigas (R-Hastings)
Rep. Ann Bollin (R-Brighton)
Rep. Jay DeBoyer (R-Clay)
Sen. Ruth Johnson (R-Holly)
Sen. Jim Runestad (R-23D)
The office of Rep. Josh Schriver (R-Oxford) responded with citations to three bills he previously co-sponsored or introduced in the past. The office also asked SM24 for its ideas. SM24 has plenty of ideas (see below) but answering the question ‘what ideas do you have’ with a request for ideas doesn’t cut it.
There were two bright spots in this otherwise dismal picture:
Sen. Jonathan Lindsey (R-17D) was generous with his time over the phone. His past and current election integrity efforts were discussed. He is lead plaintiff in a suit to overturn recent election-related amendments to the state constitution. One of his current activities may have a bearing on the 2024 election. But he was undecided about what, if anything, he wanted to disclose publicly, so all that will be said here is that one of his current projects has to do with people who are on the voter rolls who should not be.
Rep. Rachelle Smit (R-Martin) is Minority Vice Chair of the Michigan House Elections Committee. She sent SM24 a long email detailing her impressive past election integrity efforts, of which there were several. One effort had to do with absentee ballot fraud, reported here. She is currently busy fighting a Democrat bill (a ‘Voting Rights Act’) which, in her estimation, would allow “left-wing organizations to sue local jurisdictions if any voter feels as though their participation was discouraged.”
SM24 thanks her for her previous and current efforts, but finds her response to be defeatist and lacking in imagination - “Republicans are out of power,” “the lawless Secretary of State is threatening ... local clerks,” changes between now and November 5th are “impossible”, etc. The fact is, there are things lawmakers could do between now and November 5th to help secure the election in Michigan.
SM24’s Ideas
Overall, the lawmakers’ responses are lacking. Much more could be done. Between now and November 5th, lawmakers could:
If SM24’s ideas miss the mark, then talk to the experts and find out what needs to be done. Now is not the time for lawmakers to be sitting on their hands. The country’s future is at stake.
Michigan Lawmakers Falling Short on 2024 Election
SM24 asked several Republican lawmakers in Michigan with reputations for caring about election integrity what needs to be done before Election Day (Nov. 5th) and who needs to do it.
Overall, their responses were disappointing. If Detroit goes sideways again like it did in 2020, or if Michigan’s elections results are fishy for any other reason, these will be some of the people to blame and to be held accountable.
SM24 gave fair warning to the lawmakers that SM24 would be naming names in this article.
We start with the lawmakers who failed to respond to SM24’s inquiries at all:
Steve Carra (R-Three Rivers)
James DeSana (R-Carleton)
Joseph Fox (R-Tecumseh)
Neil Friske (R-Petoskey)
Mike Hoadley (R-Au Gres)
Matt Maddock (R-Milford)
Angela Rigas (R-Hastings)
Rep. Ann Bollin (R-Brighton)
Rep. Jay DeBoyer (R-Clay)
Sen. Ruth Johnson (R-Holly)
Sen. Jim Runestad (R-23D)
The office of Rep. Josh Schriver (R-Oxford) responded with citations to three bills he previously co-sponsored or introduced in the past. The office also asked SM24 for its ideas. SM24 has plenty of ideas (see below) but answering the question ‘what ideas do you have’ with a request for ideas doesn’t cut it.
There were two bright spots in this otherwise dismal picture:
Sen. Jonathan Lindsey (R-17D) was generous with his time over the phone. His past and current election integrity efforts were discussed. He is lead plaintiff in a suit to overturn recent election-related amendments to the state constitution. One of his current activities may have a bearing on the 2024 election. But he was undecided about what, if anything, he wanted to disclose publicly, so all that will be said here is that one of his current projects has to do with people who are on the voter rolls who should not be.
Rep. Rachelle Smit (R-Martin) is Minority Vice Chair of the Michigan House Elections Committee. She sent SM24 a long email detailing her impressive past election integrity efforts, of which there were several. One effort had to do with absentee ballot fraud, reported here. She is currently busy fighting a Democrat bill (a ‘Voting Rights Act’) which, in her estimation, would allow “left-wing organizations to sue local jurisdictions if any voter feels as though their participation was discouraged.”
SM24 thanks her for her previous and current efforts, but finds her response to be defeatist and lacking in imagination - “Republicans are out of power,” “the lawless Secretary of State is threatening ... local clerks,” changes between now and November 5th are “impossible”, etc. The fact is, there are things lawmakers could do between now and November 5th to help secure the election in Michigan.
SM24’s Ideas
Overall, the lawmakers’ responses are lacking. Much more could be done. Between now and November 5th, lawmakers could:
- send letters posing specific questions to the Secretary of State and elections officials (such letters are routine in Congress). Responses and non-responses could be publicized.
- demand answers to questions about:
- contingency plans to hold elections if disaster or election interference makes it impossible to proceed in the normal fashion (continuity of operations planning - COOP - is an established field and should be routine for elections)
- preventing noncitizens from registering and voting (see example from Minnesota here)
- the potential for fraud that has become apparent with respect to overseas ballots (story here)
- enforcement of the rules preventing bogus voter registrations, in light of the GBI Strategies scandal in Muskegon
- poor performance and bias on the part of the U.S. Postal Service whose union has endorsed Harris/Walz
- the process for detecting algorithms and vote-flipping by electronic voting machines
- mandated disclosures by private donors engaged in financing election administration
UPDATE 10/24/24 - Rep. Schriver’s office got interested in this. They asked the Michigan Secretary of State’s office for the location of the mandated disclosures. The SoS’ office responded by saying it does not maintain a list of disclosures. Upon further inquiry, the SoS’ office denied the amendment to the state constitution arising from Prop 2 even requires public disclosures, which it clearly does. After being confronted with this fact, the SoS’ office reverted to saying it does not maintain a list; it’s up to local units of government to do so. Interested parties in Michigan should consider pursuing legislation to centralize the reporting on this, so enquirers don’t have to issue requests for the mandated disclosures to all 83 counties, plus all cities and towns and any other local governmental units that hold elections. - the discretion of local boards of canvassers to refuse to certify results if irregularities become apparent.
- hold mock hearings to bring problems to light and inform key people of the need to take action, like U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis) does on COVID matters
- hold press conferences and give interviews to media outlets to publicize inadequacies in election preparations and procedures
- convene weekly calls with activists. A Virginia lawmaker held such calls a couple of years ago for many months, so it can be done
- consult, assist, and promote the efforts of activists and election integrity groups
- take steps to avoid a repeat of what happened in the 2020 election in Detroit, where Republican poll challengers were told to leave the counting center, cardboard was placed over the windows so nobody could see what was happening inside, and mysterious boxes of ballots with no chain of custody appeared in the middle of the night. Reporting stopped in the middle of the night while Trump was ahead, resuming hours later with Biden in the lead. Scenarios this time may be different but equally troubling. SM24 previously asked the Republican National Committee (RNC) about such preparations to go to court and the RNC’s answers were not reassuring. Somebody needs to be ready to go to court immediately to litigate objectionable actions of elections officials, election irregularities, and dubious elections results. SM24 doesn’t see anyone in the state prepared to do that, so lawmakers should find a way to put mechanisms in place. Detroit is the key and lawmakers should be actively engaged and doing what they can to ensure honest elections there.
- Finally, lawmakers should talk to each other on a regular basis, with a view toward coalescing into an effective fighting force instead of just remaining in their own silos.
If SM24’s ideas miss the mark, then talk to the experts and find out what needs to be done. Now is not the time for lawmakers to be sitting on their hands. The country’s future is at stake.