RNC Files Lawsuit Against Michigan Dem Secretary of State Over Absentee Ballot Rules

The Republican National Committee (RNC) and the Michigan Republican Party have filed a lawsuit against Michigan's Secretary of State, Jocelyn Benson, accusing her of issuing absentee ballot guidance that violates state election laws. The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, centers on absentee ballots and the proper matching of ballot stub numbers, a safeguard intended to prevent fraud in the critical battleground state.

The RNC claims that Benson’s guidance contradicts Michigan law, which mandates that absentee ballot stub numbers must match those in the poll book and on the ballot return envelope for the ballot to be counted. According to RNC election integrity staff, some absentee ballots were counted during Michigan’s August primary elections despite missing or mismatched stub numbers, which the lawsuit argues should have disqualified those ballots.

Rather than rejecting ballots with missing stub numbers, Benson allegedly instructed local election officials to process and tabulate them as “challenged” ballots. Republicans argue that this violates Michigan law, which requires such ballots to be rejected. “Secretary Benson continues to expose Michigan’s elections to cheating and fraud,” said RNC Chairman Michael Whatley in a statement, emphasizing that the RNC is committed to ensuring the integrity of elections.

Absentee ballots will begin being mailed to Michigan voters this week, and it's expected that roughly 40% of the state's voters will cast their ballots by mail, drop box, or early in-person voting. The lawsuit arrives at a critical time, with absentee voting about to begin and Michigan's role as a key battleground state for the 2024 elections coming into focus.

This is not the first time Benson has faced legal challenges from the RNC. Earlier this year, the RNC sued the Secretary of State over two other election-related matters, including claims that she failed to maintain accurate voter rolls and instructed local officials to presume that signatures on ballots were legitimate. Michigan GOP Chairman Pete Hoekstra, former U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands under President Trump, stated that lawsuits against Benson have become “commonplace” due to her repeated attempts to circumvent election laws for political gain.

“Ballot number matching is a law on the books because it’s a simple safeguard to protect Michiganders’ fundamental right to vote,” Hoekstra emphasized. He vowed that Republicans would continue to fight for election integrity in Michigan, where the stakes are high for both parties.

Michigan, which Trump won in 2016 and Biden flipped in 2020, remains a crucial state in the upcoming 2024 presidential race. According to the latest RealClearPolitics polling average, Vice President Kamala Harris leads Trump by a slim margin of 1.8 points in the state, making every vote and the integrity of each ballot matter more than ever.

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