The Republican National Committee recently filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Secretary of State in Michigan. The purpose of the lawsuit is to force the reduction of voter rolls within the state to address an alleged discrepancy regarding the number of registered voters.
RNC Alleges That Over 50 Counties Have More Registered Voters Than Eligible Adults
Recent allegations show that more than 50 counties had less eligible adults than registered voters. According to these allegations, the rolls were apparently inflated.
The lawsuit was reportedly filed against Jocelyn Benson, the Michigan Secretary of State. The allegation claims that the state is at fault for not complying with the requirements outlined within the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).
More Counties Reported Voter Registration Rates Exceed Number Of Eligible Adults
The lawsuit contends that quite a few counties within Michigan have less adults of legal voting age than registered voters. Even more counties reported that active voter registration rates are on the rise.
One report claims that those rates exceed 90 percent of the total number of adult citizens that are over the age of 18.
Lawsuit States The ‘Number Of Voters Is Impossibly High’
According to the lawsuit, over 50 Michigan counties have fewer adult citizens that are older than 18 than active registered voters. As a result, the lawsuit states that the “number of voters is impossibly high.”
Regarding the additional counties with high active voter registration rates, the lawsuit specifically referenced the discrepancy of the figures presented. “That figure far eclipses the national and statewide voter registration rate in recent elections,” according to the lawsuit.
Voter Roll Maintenance Presents Its Own Challenges
Studies have shown that voter roll maintenance presents its own set of challenges. This is primarily because people do not update registrations after they relocate.
The law does offer protection against any purges that may seem overzealous. The Secretary of State reported that more than 700,000 voters were removed. As a result, the election security was increased.
What Is The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA)?
The National Voter Registration Act (also referred to as “NVRA”) is commonly known as the “Motor Voter Act.” That name was given to it since it provides room for easier opportunities of voter registration.
This specifically applies to such scenarios as when a person interacts with specific government agencies. This includes the DMV when applying for a new driver’s license or renewing an existing one. The act was also designed to raise the number of registered voters throughout the United States.
RNC Seeks Judicial Intervention To Resolve Perceived Deficiencies
The legal action filed by the RNC alleges that the voter registration rolls in Michigan did not comply with the standards of the NVRA. Based on their interpretation of the act, they perceived multiple deficiencies regarding the state’s failure to adhere.
This has created room for a lot of criticism and debate over the decisions made by the RNC.
Some Critics Have Labeled The Lawsuit A ‘PR Campaign’
Multiple critics have gone on record to say that the lawsuit is nothing more than a PR campaign. The PR effort, in their opinion, would undermine any confidence or faith that the public has in the elections.
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson went on record to say that this “PR campaign” is doing nothing more than “masquerading as a meritless lawsuit.”
Benson Claims Lawsuit Is ‘Filled With Baseless Accusations’
Benson added that the lawsuit is “filled with baseless accusations.” In her opinion, those accusations “seek to diminish people’s faith in the security of our elections.”
Benson went on to say, “shame on anyone” that “abuses the legal process to sow seeds of doubt in our democracy.”
Benson Defended Michigan’s Desire To Maintain Accurate Voter Rolls
Benson has repeatedly tried to defend her state regarding the maintenance of accurate voter rolls. She highlighted the removal of more than 700,000 people from the list specifically during her time in office.
She also highlighted the proactive measures taken by the state to delete deceased voters from the rolls of registration as well. She insists that the RNC is trying to undermine the public’s confidence in the election process.
Past Lawsuit Focused On Benson’s Failure To Disqualify Registered Voters
There was another lawsuit filed in 2020 that focused on Secretary of State Benson as well. The lawsuit concluded that Benson did not disqualify approximately 26,000 registered voters that were deceased.
For instance, there was one case reported by the Federalist in which a person that passed away in 1990 was still registered to vote blue 30 years later. US District Court Judge Jane Beckering sided with Benson and dismissed the lawsuit.
Election Lawyer States That ‘Early Voting Is Not Going Away’
Charles Spies, an election lawyer, stated that “early voting is not going away.” He added that the American people has “to take advantage of that.”
Spies further stated that “telling people not to vote early is cutting your nose off to spite your face.”
Spies Suggests Focusing On Making People ‘Super Confident’ In Process
Spies also explained that “we change the system” and the need to “make us super confident in it.”
The next step, according to Spies, would be to “encourage people to vote using the laws that we have.”
Timing Of RNC Lawsuit Adds To Complexity Of Situation
Another observation is that the timing of the lawsuit filed by the RNC adds to the overall complexity of the political situation. First, it essentially follows Donald Trump being confirmed as the GOP nominee for the upcoming 2024 election.
This legal action reportedly serves as an underscore of the overall nature of election-related issues. This is especially the case when the politically-charged environment is considered.
Michigan’s Role In 2020 Election Put Back In The Spotlight
Another highlight is the return of the Michigan into the political spotlight. The last time that the state generated this much attention within the political spectrum was during the 2020 election.
Michigan played an integral role within the 2020 election after voting for President Joe Biden by a large margin. Therefore, with these factors considered, the political significance of the legal action has been further amplified.
