In January 2022, Benson Called It A “War Over The Future Of Our Democracy” To Question The Results Of The 2020 Election
In January 2022, Secretary Of State Jocelyn Benson Said Saying The 2020 Election Was Not “Accurate” Is A Lie And Those Saying It Is A “War Over The Future Of Our Democracy.”
SECRETARY OF STATE JOCELYN BENSON: “The 2020 election is indeed behind us but the war of the future of our democracy continues to escalate.” ANNOUNCER: “Michigan Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson worries it will happen again.” BENSON: “We’re facing an uphill battle and the real coordinated concerted strategy to lie to individuals to achieve political gain.” CBS NEWS’ ED O’KEEFE: “Well, what’s the biggest lie that they’re being told.” BENSON: “That the 2020 election was not accurate when indeed it was.” (CBS’ “CBS Evening News,” 1/6/22)
Benson Questioned The Legitimacy Of Every Presidential Election The Republicans Won In The 21st Century
Benson Accused Then-Florida Secretary Of State Katherine Harris Of Plotting To Steal The 2000 Election
In May 2010, Benson Suggested That The Secretaries Of State In Florida In 2000 And Ohio In 2004 Changed The Outcome Of The Election To The Republicans. “In 2004, I worked on a national voter protection effort, hiring and training over 17,000 people to protect the vote on Election Day and make sure that no voter was wrongfully turned away. All of these things were part of my own effort to make sure every vote is counted and every vote counts. But what we saw in the 2000 election in Florida was how one individual, the Secretary of State of Florida, can make independent decisions, like removing otherwise eligible voters from the voter registration list or certifying an election before a full recount, that could change the course of a presidential election. In 2004 we saw the same thing, with a Secretary of State in Ohio. And so, even though I had spent my career working to be an advocate on the ‘outside,’ I started to see that it was really crucial that our secretary of State’s office was run by someone who understood the need to ensure that every vote counts and is counted.” (Jocelyn Benson, Op-Ed, “Democratic Secretary Of State Candidate, Explains Platform,” Michigan Chronicle, 5/26/10 – 6/1/10)
- In Her Book Secretaries Of State, Benson Associated Katherine Harris With Nefarious Plots To Work Behind The Scenes To Effect The Outcome Of Elections. “It’s been called the ‘Katherine Harris effect,’ the suspicion that many Secretaries of State are nefariously working behind the scenes to tinker with the electoral process and ensure that their political party wins elections in their state. The ‘effect’ originated in November 2000.” (Jocelyn F. Benson, State Secretaries Of State, 2010)
Benson Implied That Florida Secretary Of State Katherine Harris Did Not Abide By The Law For Denying A Statewide Recount In 2000. “Benson studied law at Harvard and sociology at Oxford after spending time investigating white supremacist and neo-Nazi organizations at the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Alabama. ‘I started my career at the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery where I was working to investigate hate groups and hate crimes in Alabama and I think it was just impossible to be down there and not become inspired by all the work that has been done and all the sacrifices that were made so that the right to vote could be accessible to everyone,’ she said. ‘The 2000 election, I think, showed that if you don’t have a secretary of state who’s going to abide by the laws and allow a full recount to ensure that all the votes are counted, then everything we fight for is called into question.’” (Khalil Alhajal, “Benson Seeks Secretary Of State Seat,” The Arab American News, 2/13/10)
Benson Suggested That Electronic Voter Machines In 2004 Could Have Been “Hacked”
Benson Floated The Theory That Electronic Voter Machines Could Be “Hacked.” “Then the 2004 election occurred. Allegations swirled questioning whether electronic voting machines could be ‘hacked.’ Many questioned the overall security of a technology where a voter could enter their choice and walk away without any paper record to later verify that the machine had accurately recorded their choice. Out of this increased concern over the security of the electronic machines came a call for some sort of ‘voter verified paper trail,’ enabling voters to verify that their vote was accurately cast and counted.” (Jocelyn F. Benson, State Secretaries Of State, 2010)
Benson Called For A Post-Election Audit Of The 2016 Election
In April 2018, Benson Argued For Post-Election Audits Of The 2016 Election. “Benson also touched on security, which has been a hot topic since the 2016 election due to speculation of hacker interference on voting machines and data. Benson suggested post-election audits to ensure machines correctly counted ballots, and said she would devise a task force to oversee voting security. ‘In the 2016 election, we saw real threats to the security of our democracy,’ Benson said. ‘We know that there were efforts to hack and interfere our democracy, to nationally impact our machines, to take data from our voters and use it possibly for nefarious means. Regardless of what happened in 2016, the threats to the security of our elections did not begin and will not end with that election.’” (Joey Oliver, “Secretary Of State Candidate Speaks In Owosso,” The Argus-Press, 4/21/18)
- Benson: “In The 2016 Election, We Saw Real Threats To The Security Of Our Democracy … We Know That There Were Efforts To Hack And Interfere Our Democracy, To Nationally Impact Our Machines, To Take Data From Our Voters And Use It Possibly For Nefarious Means.” (Joey Oliver, “Secretary Of State Candidate Speaks In Owosso,” The Argus-Press, 4/21/18)
Benson Formed The Michigan Election Security Commission In March 2019 And Hired A University Of Michigan Professor Who Claimed That Voting Machines Are Easily Hackable
In March 2019, Benson Formed The Michigan Election Security Commission. “The newly-formed Michigan Election Security Commission, established by Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson on March 20, 2019, held its first meeting on Tuesday, April 16, on the University of Michigan North Campus. Secretary Benson began the day by welcoming the 18 members of the commission and reviewing their charter. The commision then spent the day in work. The meeting took place in the Bob and Betty Beyster Building, home of the U-M Computer Science and Engineering Division.” (“Michigan’s New Election Security Commission Holds Inaugural Meeting On U-M Campus,” Michigan State University Computer Science and Engineering, 4/17/19)
Benson Created The Commission To Oversee Her Election Reform Measures. “Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is creating an advisory committee to help oversee implementation of Proposal 3’s provisions for expanding Michigan residents’ access to the ballot. The 25 committee members — including elected clerks from both parties, state voting rights advocates and election experts — also will provide Benson with input on other election reforms. About 67 percent of Michigan voters backed the ‘Promote the Vote’ proposal in November. Benson last week implemented its provision for no-reason absentee voting. Other reforms include automatic voter registration and the ability to register up to and on Election Day. ‘The results of last November’s election are clear: Michigan voters want to make it easier to vote and harder to cheat,’ Benson said.” (Julie Mack, “Secretary Of State Creates Advisory Committee On Election Reform – Correction Appended,” MLive, 2/25/19)
- Benson: “The Results Of Last November’s Election Are Clear: Michigan Voters Want To Make It Easier To Vote And Harder To Cheat.” (Julie Mack, “Secretary Of State Creates Advisory Committee On Election Reform – Correction Appended,” MLive, 2/25/19)
Benson Hired University Of Michigan Professor J. Alex Halderman To Co-Chair The Michigan Election Security Commission – Halderman Recommended A State-Wide Paper Recount Of The Ballots In The 2016 Presidential Election Claiming That The Voting Machines Are Easily Hackable. “A professor who has warned of hacking threats and recommended a state recount in the 2016 presidential election will co-chair a new Michigan Election Security Commission announced this week by Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. The commission, which is expected to recommend reforms and strategies to improve election security, will be co-chaired by David Becker, the executive director of the nonprofit Center for Election Innovation and Research, and University of Michigan Professor J. Alex Halderman, director of the school’s Center for Computer Security and Society. ‘The security of our elections is critical to the security of our democracy,’ Benson said in a statement, describing the commission as a ‘‘first-of-its-kind’ effort. Halderman once hacked a voting machine to play PacMan and last year worked with the New York Times to stage a mock election that demonstrated voting machine vulnerabilities. He also urged a paper ballot recount in the 2016 presidential election for critical states like Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania that helped deliver an unexpected win for President Donald Trump. While the deviation between Trump’s vote totals and pre-election surveys was probably the result of polls that were ‘systematically’ wrong, ‘the only way to know whether a cyberattack changed the result is to closely examine the available physical evidence,’ Halderman wrote in 2016.” (Jonathan Oosting, “Benson Names 2016 Recount Advocate To Election Security Commission,” The Detroit News, 3/21/19)
- “Halderman Once Hacked A Voting Machine To Play Pacman And Last Year Worked With The New York Times To Stage A Mock Election That Demonstrated Voting Machine Vulnerabilities.” (Jonathan Oosting, “Benson Names 2016 Recount Advocate To Election Security Commission,” The Detroit News, 3/21/19)
- Halderman In 2016: “The Only Way To Know Whether A Cyberattack Changed The Result Is To Closely Examine The Available Physical Evidence.” (Jonathan Oosting, “Benson Names 2016 Recount Advocate To Election Security Commission,” The Detroit News, 3/21/19)
- Benson: “The Security Of Our Elections Is Critical To The Security Of Our Democracy.” (Jonathan Oosting, “Benson Names 2016 Recount Advocate To Election Security Commission,” The Detroit News, 3/21/19)
Benson Described Halderman As “One Of Our Nation’s Leading Election Security Experts.”
“Benson, who guest hosted a WJR-AM radio show on Thursday morning, spoke with Halderman about the commission and introduced him as ‘one of our nation’s leading election security experts.’ But GOP strategist Stu Sandler criticized the appointment, saying Halderman pushed ‘the senseless recount in 2016 that cost millions and produced nothing.’” (Jonathan Oosting, “Benson Names 2016 Recount Advocate To Election Security Commission,” The Detroit News, 3/21/19)
The University Of Michigan Noted That Halderman’s Position On The Commission Will Give Him The Opportunity To Strongly Advise On Security Measures Taken In The State.” “The commission is co-chaired by Prof. J. Alex Halderman, whose work in election security and in exposing the vulnerabilities of electronic voting machines has positioned him as a preeminent expert in the field. His position on the commission will give Halderman the opportunity to strongly advise on security measures taken in the state.” (“Michigan’s New Election Security Commission Holds Inaugural Meeting On U-M Campus,” Michigan State University Computer Science and Engineering, 4/17/19)