Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is facing criticism for not allowing election challengers to observe the early stages of mail-in ballot processing. Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI), Chairman of the Committee on House Administration, requested clarification from Benson after concerns were raised that some clerks were not permitting challengers during key phases, such as verifying voter signatures and registration.
In a September 13 letter, Steil urged Benson to confirm whether election challengers are allowed to monitor this part of the mail-in voting process. Although Benson’s office responded by the deadline, they failed to clarify if challengers could be present, which left Steil “disappointed” with the lack of information. He emphasized that “Americans deserve secure and fair elections.”
Michigan’s mail-in ballot process has two main steps: the initial phase where clerks verify signatures and voter registration, and the final tabulation phase. While there is no dispute about challengers observing the counting process, the question centers around their access during the initial verification steps, where potential discrepancies could occur.
Some clerks in Michigan have been taking mail-in ballots home to conduct the initial processing, according to Michigan Fair Elections Founder Patrice Johnson. This practice, often done without observers present, raises concerns about transparency and the chain of custody. Johnson emphasized that this leaves room for “bad actors” to potentially exploit the situation.
Steil underscored the importance of transparency, particularly with mail-in voting, which has been found by the U.S. Supreme Court to be more vulnerable to fraud than in-person voting. He argues that allowing challengers to observe the entire mail-in process is critical for election integrity.
As more states adopt widespread mail-in voting, Steil vows to continue pushing for better oversight and transparency to protect the integrity of U.S. elections.
