Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson says Michigan has finished the most comprehensive election audit in the state’s history. In short – there was no widespread voter fraud.
Many of the allegations of impropriety were centered on the Democratic stronghold of Detroit. Benson says the audit proves again that those allegations were completely unfounded.
“These efforts are dangerous, racist and undertaken for personal and political gain. They are also completely meritless as proven by these audits and must be treated as such in the future.”
Benson says the very few ballot counting irregularities found were the product of deadlines, not misconduct.
“They found that the reason many of the counting boards were left out of balance without explanation at the end of the county canvass was simply because canvassers ran out of time," she said. "In fact, the net number of ballots out of balance was just 17.”
Benson says the absentee ballot counting process could be improved by allowing poll workers to tally votes in the weeks before Election Day, and is calling on the state Legislature to allow that to happen.
"My hope not just for lawmakers in Michigan, but about around the country is that you simply listen to voters and build an election system and election infrastructure that responds to their needs," Benson said. "That is what good election administration is all about. It's not partisan. It's just data driven.”
The proposal has bipartisan support in the Michigan Legislature.
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