WASHINGTON, D.C. – Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters released the following statement after a Michigan court ordered Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to stop counting absentee ballots with missing or mismatched ballot numbers unless voters properly cure them:
“This is a clear victory for election integrity,” said Chairman Gruters. “The court reaffirmed that ballots with missing or mismatched numbers cannot be counted under Michigan law and ordered Secretary Benson to follow a lawful, commonsense process to protect the vote. Democrats don’t get to bend the rules to make it easier to cheat.”
Background:
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The Michigan Court of Claims ruled that absentee ballots with missing or mismatched ballot numbers cannot be counted because election officials lack legal authority to tabulate them.
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After Secretary Benson issued guidance allowing those ballots to be counted anyway, the RNC returned to court.
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The court again rejected Benson’s position and blocked her guidance.
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After concluding that a cure provision was required, the Court chose the more robust protections of the RNC’s proposed cure procedure over Secretary Benson’s watered-down version — ensuring that affected voters are notified of the problem and given a fair opportunity to fix it with appropriate safeguards.
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The ruling strengthens ballot security while protecting voters from being disenfranchised.
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This year, the RNC has filed two separate lawsuits against Secretary Benson to ensure only eligible ballots are counted and prevent overseas individuals who have no ties to Michigan from voting in the state’s elections.
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The RNC will continue fighting to ensure Michigan elections are secure, transparent, and conducted according to the law.
