On Wednesday, the Republican National Committee (RNC) filed a lawsuit against Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, requesting that the state check its voter records.
The committee claims the state has “failed to live up” to the National Voter Registration Act’s (NVRA) mandate that voter registration rolls be clean.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court, contends that at least 53 of Michigan’s 83 counties have more registered voters than people of voting age. An additional 23 counties have active voter registration rates that “exceed 90% of adult citizens over the age of 18,” according to the lawsuit.
“This is not the first time Michigan has failed to abide by the NVRA’s requirements,” the lawsuit stated, noting a 2020 case against Michigan election officials that violated the act’s provisions, which was ultimately dismissed.
The RNC’s complaint comes only days after former President Trump’s associates took leadership posts and hours after the party confirmed Trump as the GOP nominee for the 2024 race.
Michigan, a critical swing state, supported President Biden in the 2020 election. Biden won by 154,000 votes, despite Trump’s attempt to persuade officials not to certify the results.
Under the NVRA, states must implement “a general voter registration list maintenance program” that makes a “reasonable effort” to remove those who are ineligible from voter lists due to death or a migration out of state or jurisdiction. It also safeguards voters against removal if they haven’t voted in years.
The Department of Justice stated that the maintenance program must be “uniform, nondiscriminatory, and compliant with the Voting Rights Act.”
The Hill has contacted Benson for comment, but the Secretary of State told NBC News that Michigan has done more in the last five years than in the preceding two decades to appropriately remove people from the list.
According to the outlet, over 700,000 individuals have been removed from their positions since she assumed office, with more to follow if they fail to cast their votes in the upcoming general election this fall.
In response to the lawsuit, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson expressed her strong criticism, stating that it is nothing more than a PR campaign disguised as a lawsuit. She described the accusations as baseless and aimed at undermining people’s trust in the integrity of our elections. Benson firmly condemned those who use the legal system to sow doubt in our democratic processes, emphasizing the importance of upholding the values of our democracy.
