A lawsuit filed on behalf of Republican Secretary of State nominee Kristina Karamo against Detroit election officials will move forward under a Wayne County Judge.
That's after attorneys for the plaintiffs had asked the court to disqualify over 50 Wayne County judges from overseeing the case.
They withdrew that motion at a hearing Monday.
The lawyers had argued the Wayne County judges’ position as elected officials added an appearance of bias in the election case.
The suit says the court should make Detroiters vote either in person or through a ballot obtained in person at the clerk’s office.
Plaintiffs allege the city's absentee ballot counting process doesn't meet statutory requirements, specifically criticizing the use of absentee voter counting boards.
“This process is a fiscal nightmare. There is much expense created unnecessary to accumulate ballots into a counting board,” the lawsuit read.
As the Detroit News reported, Detroit is not the only city that uses that system to count absentee ballots. Multiple cities in Oakland County used a similar process, but Karamo's lawsuit only targets Detroit.
Critics have derided the lawsuit’s request as violating the state constitution’s guarantee of access to a mail-in ballot regardless of the reason for requesting one.
