SEPTEMBER 29, 2021
MIGOP Submits Public Comments Blasting SOS Benson’s Proposed Rule for Weakening Election Integrity
Lansing, MI – The Michigan Republican Party has submitted public comments regarding Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s newly proposed signature verification rule, which would weaken signature matching standards on ballots across the state.“Signature verification is one of the most important safeguards we have to protect against fraudulent activity in our elections processes,” said MIGOP Communications Director Gustavo Portela. “The fact that Secretary Benson has not only tried to skirt the law and weaken those processes this time, but also in October of last year, proves how little she and other Michigan Democrats truly care about election integrity. They are happy to bend the law as it suits them because they know it is the only way they can win. If Benson’s political play is determined to be valid, Michigan’s elections system will become incredibly vulnerable and susceptible to fraud, with only the Democrats to thank for it.” The State Court of Claims previously struck down Secretary Benson’s 2020 Guidance for Verification of Absent Voter Signatures in October 2020, which instructed clerks to presume the accuracy of absentee ballot signatures.The Secretary’s proposed rule ignores Michigan’s longstanding mandated requirement that the signature accompanying both an absentee voter application and an absentee voter ballot match the digitized signature in the voter file or, if unavailable, the signature on the voter’s registration card.MIGOP public comments can be found here.
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