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Michigan Is Ignoring Congress’ Request To Let Challengers Observe Mail-In Ballots
The Federalist ^ | 10/03/2024 | Kristine Christlieb

Posted on 10/03/2024 7:04:12 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

Clerks are taking ballots home — with no observers present — to check voters’ registration, document dates of receipt, and verify signatures.

On behalf of the Committee on House Administration, Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wis., is asking Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to clarify to local clerks that state party-appointed observers, also called challengers, are permitted to monitor the initial stage of mail-in ballot processing, and her office is ignoring the request.

In his Sept. 13 letter to Benson following her testimony at the committee’s Sept. 11 hearing on American confidence in elections, Steil asked Benson for clarification because, he wrote, “it is the Committee’s understanding that at least some clerk offices believe challengers have no right to be present during the initial processing of mail ballots and signature verification.” Steil gave Benson a deadline of Sept. 23, 2024, to “confirm and communicate to the various clerk offices that challengers are permitted to observe initial processing of mail ballots and signature verification.”

Benson’s office responded by the deadline, but did not say it would be issuing the requested clarification to clerks. In an email statement, Steil said, “I was disappointed by the lack of information provided by the Michigan Secretary of State’s office in response to my letter. Americans deserve secure and fair elections. I will be following up to ensure we receive a fulsome response.”

The Point of Contention

Michigan has a two-step process for mail-in ballots. First, the city and township clerk offices receive and process the mail-in ballots, examining them on three levels. Is the elector (the person voting) properly registered to vote? When was the ballot received? Can the signature on the ballot be verified? The second step in mail-in ballot processing is tabulating the ballots by a voter counting board.

There’s no dispute about having Michigan challengers in the second step of the process. The committee’s concern is the initial phase.

The Committee on House Administration has the constitutional authority to oversee elections to the U.S. House of Representatives. Steil argues in his letter that challengers are essential observers: “[I]n the event there is a contested House election in Michigan, it will assist us in assessing the reliability of the results.” Steil concludes by saying it would be “absurd” to permit challengers to observe in-person voting, but then prohibit challengers from observing mail voting.

Writing on behalf of Benson, Michigan Secretary of State Chief Legal Director Michael Brady’s Sept. 23 response to Steil’s request obfuscates the issue. Brady first argues that questions about Michigan challengers were not raised in the hearing. He then writes that observers are called poll watchers in Michigan, while challengers have an entirely separate role.

Brady then details what challengers are allowed to do in the first step, the initial stage of the process: “Each challenger-credentialing organization may assign one challenger to observe the issuance and receipt of absent voter ballots at a clerk’s office or a satellite location maintained by the clerk, including an Election Day Vote Center. A challenger may be present at the clerk’s office only when the office is open for business and during the period prior to an election when voters may request or return an absent voter ballot at the office.”

Michigan Fair Elections Founder Patrice Johnson explains how this system works in reality: “What people don’t realize is clerks aren’t always conducting the initial phase of the mail-in ballot processing in their offices during regular office hours. We have clerk sources here in Michigan telling us they take ballots home where they check the voter registration, document date and time of receipt and verify the signature.” All that is happening with no challengers present, she adds.

Johnson explains why the clerks take the ballots home: “Mail-in ballots require more scrutiny and only the clerks are allowed to do it. And now our clerks are inundated with mail-in ballots.” Johnson says many clerks are working part-time, and so they sometimes work from home to keep up. “It’s understandable, but it does create chain-of-custody questions and transparency problems. And obviously, it is a situation bad actors could exploit. How can we be sure registrations are checked? How do we know ballot signatures are actually verified? The truth is, we don’t.”

In 36 states, voters are sent mail-in ballots automatically or a mail-in ballot can be requested without justification. As Steil notes in his letter to Benson, “Transparency is especially important for mail voting, which the U.S. Supreme Court has found to be more vulnerable to fraud than in-person voting. Allowing observers to watch the processing of mail ballots guards against potential fraud and promotes public confidence.”


Kristine Christlieb is a senior correspondent for Michigan Fair Elections.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Michigan
KEYWORDS: 2024electionsteal; 2big2steal; arrestjocelynbenson; arrestmichaelbrady; ballots; electionfraud2024; jocelynbenson; mailinballots; michaelbrady; michigan; michigansedition
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I'm saying this in advance:

If the counting is done and a winner declared after two to three hours after the last state election closes, TRUMP WINS THE ELECTION.

If the counting drags on for several more day or even a week, you can be certain that Kamala Harris will be declared the winner.

1 posted on 10/03/2024 7:04:12 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

They’re not doing it right. Whitler approves.


2 posted on 10/03/2024 7:07:38 AM PDT by Libloather (Why do climate change hoax deniers live in mansions on the beach?)
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To: SeekAndFind

If you’re a Dem, ignoring rules is what you can do, as long as it advances the cause.

The ends justify the means.


3 posted on 10/03/2024 7:09:43 AM PDT by brownsfan (It's going to take real, serious, hard times to wake the American public.)
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To: SeekAndFind
Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wis., is asking Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to clarify to local clerks that state party-appointed observers, also called challengers, are permitted to monitor the initial stage of mail-in ballot processing, and her office is ignoring the request.

In a just world, Ms. Benson would be arrested and held.

4 posted on 10/03/2024 7:10:47 AM PDT by Carry_Okie (The tree of liberty needs a rope.)
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To: SeekAndFind

YOU CANT TAKE THE BALLOTS HOME - WHAT KIND OF SEDITIOUS BS IS THIS?!


5 posted on 10/03/2024 7:13:35 AM PDT by Skywise
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To: Skywise

request? Might as well wear a ‘kick me’ sign on our backs.


6 posted on 10/03/2024 7:18:17 AM PDT by DIRTYSECRET
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To: SeekAndFind

How can you expect them to steal another election if they have to count the votes in the daylight?


7 posted on 10/03/2024 7:21:48 AM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (The Jamaican/Injun "immigration" plan. Dilute and pollute until America is a third world sewer..)
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To: GOPJ; poconopundit; Jane Long; Diana in Wisconsin; Grampa Dave; Godzilla; Vaduz; null and void; ...

Contact
Michigan Dept of State
430 W. Allegan St.
Richard H. Austin Bldng - 4th Floor
Lansing, MI 48918

Monday - Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
tele 888-767-6424
email Michigan.gov/ContactSOS

Message
The Committee on House Administration has the constitutional authority to oversee elections to the U.S. House of Representatives. Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wis., is asking Michigan Secy of State Jocelyn Benson to clarify to local clerks that state party-appointed observers, also called challengers, are permitted to monitor the initial stage of mail-in ballot processing, and her office is ignoring the request.

Transparency is especially important for mail voting, which the USSC has found to be more vulnerable to fraud than in-person voting. Allowing observers to watch the processing of mail ballots guards against potential fraud and promotes public confidence.


8 posted on 10/03/2024 7:24:19 AM PDT by Liz (Faith is believing what you cannot see; its reward is to see what you believe. St Augustine)
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To: SeekAndFind

Paper ballot fraud in Philadelphia, Detroit, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Phoenix and Las Vegas was the reason that Biden won and the Deocrats control the Senate.


9 posted on 10/03/2024 7:26:48 AM PDT by allendale
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To: allendale

Biden didnt win. He stole the election.


10 posted on 10/03/2024 7:32:02 AM PDT by jimpick
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To: SeekAndFind

Is the counting is honest, there is no reason for the governor not to let the counting be observed. This simply confirms that the counting process is NOT fair and honest.


11 posted on 10/03/2024 7:34:30 AM PDT by econjack
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To: Liz

Thanks flaming letter ensues.


12 posted on 10/03/2024 7:36:30 AM PDT by Vaduz
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To: Vaduz

Go for it.


13 posted on 10/03/2024 7:37:49 AM PDT by Liz (Faith is believing what you cannot see; its reward is to see what you believe. St Augustine)
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To: SeekAndFind

First step envelope validation is a rule, which is a law. If the SOS doesn’t above by the rules then they should be removed/arrested.


14 posted on 10/03/2024 7:40:04 AM PDT by daku
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To: SeekAndFind

‘Request’???

The GOP is too polite


15 posted on 10/03/2024 7:40:47 AM PDT by Mr. K (Trump 2024)
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To: SeekAndFind

The outside envelopes could scanned-in and posted online.

The clerks and party people could then remotely do the appropriate verification.

Allowing the clerks to take the ballots home is a due process violation.


16 posted on 10/03/2024 7:41:38 AM PDT by Brian Griffin (Kamala: "understand that some people need more, so we all end up in the same place, right?”)
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To: SeekAndFind
Clerks are taking ballots home — with no observers present — to check voters’ registration, document dates of receipt, and verify signatures. to make sure they are filled out correctly for the Democrat candidates.

Fixed.

17 posted on 10/03/2024 7:43:32 AM PDT by Bon of Babble (You Say You Want a Revolution?)
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To: SeekAndFind

The cemetery ballots in Michigan are probably the largest voting block in the state. My dead father has been voting for decades as a democrat. Leelanau County needs to clean their rolls.


18 posted on 10/03/2024 7:53:53 AM PDT by cnsmom
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To: SeekAndFind

Steal. Cheat. Defraud: the new Michigan government motto...


19 posted on 10/03/2024 7:58:15 AM PDT by jeffc (Resident of the free State of Florida)
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To: jeffc

Communists hate free and fair elections.


20 posted on 10/03/2024 8:33:35 AM PDT by bray (It's not racist to be racist against races the DNC hates.)
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