Michigan SOS Benson Slammed for Failing to Maintain Accurate Voter Rolls, Transparency Issues

THE CENTER SQUARE—An election integrity watchdog group is criticizing Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson for what it calls a failure to enforce—and tendency to violate—the state’s election laws since 2020. 

As part of its ongoing analysis of how well battleground secretaries of state handled recent elections, the Fair Election Fund gave Benson a failing grade alleging that “multiple and continued failures that undermine the confidence of voters in Michigan,” such as failing to maintain an accurate voter registration list and issuing unlawful instructions to clerks despite repeated judicial rebukes.

In its report, the watchdog group highlighted the numerous lawsuits and legal complaints filed against Benson over the past four years, particularly those concerning Benson’s repeated attempts to loosen voter signature verification standards.

Benson directed local election clerks in 2021 to presume the validity of voter signatures on absentee ballots, prompting a lawsuit. 

Even though the Michigan Court of Claims struck down her directive, ruling that Benson had invalidly bypassed the administrative rulemaking process, Benson again told clerks in 2023 that “voter signatures are entitled to an initial presumption of validity.” The court once again ruled against her.

“These lawsuits are not merely the result of the differing priorities of the major political parties, with Republicans emphasizing encouraging confidence in elections through transparency and verification, and Democrats prioritizing ease of voting,” the Fair Election Fund report reads.

“Instead, these actions give the appearance of a complete disregard for the rule of law and contempt for statutorily mandated election integrity safeguards.”

Another factor contributing to the “D” grade for Benson includes her failure to regularly clean voter rolls. She was sued in 2020 for not removing invalid voter registrations. Data revealed that 53 counties had active voter registration rates at or above 100% of their eligible citizen populations. Benson eventually agreed in 2021 to remove 177,000 registrations. 

The watchdog also slammed the secretary over transparency issues. Benson secretly issued rules inhibiting election poll challenging and polling observation, rules which the Michigan Court of Claims struck down in 2022. 

She also removed an online transparency portal from 2019 that included a link to the Bureau of Elections campaign finance disclosure database. In 2021, a spokesperson for Benson said the page was still “being updated.” As of April 2025, the page remains unavailable.

The 2024 general election in Michigan saw at least 15 individuals who may be noncitizens voting, and a Chinese national registering to vote using his University of Michigan student ID and signing a document claiming he was a U.S. citizen. 

The student’s vote was counted, and he was only caught because he requested his ballot back. Fair Election Fund maintained that the Chinese student’s ability to easily register to vote, cast a ballot, and evade initial detection showcases a failure on Benson’s part to keep elections secure.

Benson, who recently announced her bid for governor in 2026, has continuously maintained she supports secure elections and accessible voting.

Originally published at The Center Square

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