The Republican National Committee (RNC) has filed a lawsuit against Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, claiming her absentee ballot policies threaten election integrity in the upcoming presidential race. The lawsuit seeks to prevent Benson from enacting ballot-processing guidelines that the RNC says do not adequately address absentee ballot verification.
Filed on Tuesday, the lawsuit targets Benson’s February 2024 guidance, which the RNC argues leaves gaps in the verification process for absentee ballots. Specifically, the lawsuit claims that Benson’s rules do not include necessary safeguards for matching voter signatures, which could lead to improperly counted ballots.
RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said that Benson’s policies would “undermine protections for absentee voters” by allowing clerks to improperly handle and count ballots. Michigan law requires absentee ballots to be verified by signature before being approved, but the RNC claims that Benson’s guidance is inconsistent with these requirements.
One example cited in the complaint involves the August 2024 primary in Warren, Michigan, where thousands of absentee ballots were allegedly counted without signature verification. The RNC argues that this failure could repeat in the November election if Benson’s policies remain in place.
Michigan is a key swing state, and the RNC has ramped up its legal efforts ahead of the 2024 election. This lawsuit is part of a broader effort to ensure that absentee voting is conducted according to the law, protecting election integrity in a critical state.
