Republicans sue Michigan to make it easier to disrupt ballot counting and challenge voters in the midterms
The Republican National Committee (RNC) sued Michigan Sec. of State Jocelyn Benson (D) Tuesday to block protections that make it harder for partisan poll challengers to interrupt the state’s ballot-counting process.
The lawsuit sends an ominous signal that the GOP will pull out all the stops to disrupt vote counting and challenge voters’ eligibility this fall.
“This isn’t about the law; it’s part of the RNC’s long-running effort to cast doubt on our ability to administer free and fair elections and lay the groundwork for them to challenge any legitimate election result they don’t like,” Angela Benander, Benson’s chief communications officer, told Democracy Docket. “Their goal is always the same – to create chaos and confusion that will discourage or even block eligible Michiganders from voting.”
At issue is guidance on poll challengers issued by Benson in Oct. 2024, which was added to Michigan’s administrative rules in May 2026. The RNC claims that the new rules — which limit the number of poll challengers at each location and make it harder for them to lodge frivolous challenges that delay or disrupt the ballot-counting process — violate Michigan law and are part of a broader Democratic ploy to undermine elections.
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/republicans-sue-michigan-to-make-it-easier-to-disrupt-ballot-counting-and-challenge-voters-in-the-midterms/