Two groups dedicated to upholding the integrity of U.S. electoral system are heading to Northern Michigan for a citizens’ educational tour.
The groups have already held events in cities in lower Michigan.
Ari Mittleman is with one of the groups, called Keep Our Republic. "There’s a lot of misinformation swirling around and a lot of it is garbage," he said.
He said people's trust in the U.S election process is under attack by hostile governments like Iran's.
“They want Americans to hate other Americans and distrust our unique American experiment with democracy,” Mittleman said. “And that's something that we're trying — "trying" being the key verb — to push back against, because I think — I hope — what unites all Americans is our sense of patriotism.”
Mittleman said the groups hope to demystify the election process for people who attend, and answer any questions about things they've seen on the internet, such as whether the machines being used are safe from being hacked, how ballots are transferred from the polling place to the county elections office, whether undocumented immigrants are able to vote, or if people are casting votes under dead voters’ names.
Former Michigan House Democrat Leader Christine Greig and former Michigan Republican Senator and House Representative Tonya Schuitmaker, of Michiganders for Civil Resilience, along with Keep Our Republic representatives, will host conversations with Kent County Clerk Lisa Posthumus Lyons in the following cities:
- Traverse City on at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 27
- Marquette at noon on Wednesday, August 28
- Escanaba at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 28
- Cheboygan at noon on Thursday, August 29
- Alpena at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 29
Full details are available on the organization's website.
