Elizabeth Ayoub and Patrice Johnson’s guest post
Compromise may be advantageous, but it can be dangerous to stray from election law. Infractions of Michigan election law and uneven application of other laws during the November 2022 election in Ann Arbor, Michigan, are highlighted in a thorough report that was released on June 21 by Michigan Fair Elections and Pure Integrity Michelections. Some of these infractions and contradictions might be viewed as biased.
The report, Ann Arbor Compromises Integrity during 2022 Election, provides evidence gleaned from open-source( publicly available ) documents, Freedom of Information Act requests, Michigan’s official voter record( Qualified Voter File ), and electronic poll book data after months of investigation.
One Michigan city was the subject of the investigation. Out of the 4,950 voting precincts in the state, Ann Arbor has 53 of them. The documents examined include voter files, time-stamped voter history records, and details on the collection of absentee ballots at precincts.
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According to the MFE / PIME report, election laws are passed in our constitutional republic to safeguard the inalienable right of all citizens to have their votes counted. The integrity of elections is compromised by any legal violation, which also lowers people confidence. Additionally, each unsuitable vote nullifies an available vote, violating the fundamental right of citizens to have their votes counted. These rights are safeguarded by the enforcement of election laws. Law violations weaken them.
Citizens have the right to demand the integrity of all government employees and all people processes when violations are made public.
The following five people trust violations and erosions were found in the Ann Arbor report:
Erosion of Trust First
According to the report, 600 Ann Arbor residents registered to cast absentee ballots after the legally required 8 o’clock on election day, November 8, 2022, according to time-stamped voter history records. On November 9, 2022, 120 people registered as well, outside the permitted registration period.
In one Michigan city, 600 disqualified ballots were tallied.
Second Erosion of Trust
State records indicate that the Ann Arbor City clerk disregarded the law that forbids re-registration at a distinct precinct within 14 days of election day. About 180 instances of these re-registrations were discovered by citizen investigators, no just on election day but also the day before, November 9, 2022. 83 % or so of the illegal re-registrations took place at the University of Michigan satellite offices.
The map over depicts one instance of more than 180 illegal re-registrations that took place under the purview of the City of Ann Arbor. To cast his ballot in his right precinct, Student X simply had to walk a few blocks.
The guidelines were posted on the clerk’s website:
Third Erosion of Trust
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, the top election official in Michigan, gave incorrect instructions. Voters could register and cast their ballots at a clerk’s office or satellite office yet after 8:00 p.m. on election day, according to her tweet from 6:19 pm on November 8. Michigan law, yet, simply permits in-person voting at polling places; satellite offices are not permitted.
MI SOS Jocelyn Benson” As long as you are in line by 8 p.m., you can also register and vote, whether you’re at your precinct or your local clerk’s office.” Michigan law was broken by Benson’s tweet. Her tweet, which stated” at your polling place” and” you have a right to cast your ballot ,” contradicted itself in the small print.
Voters can sign up at a clerk’s office or satellite office, but they must cast their ballots in person at the polling place before they can be counted. At clerk offices, there are no tabulators; instead, voters register at a satellite office. a period. Voter registration was made on November 9, 2022, the day following the election, according to voter records from an Ann Arbor satellite office. They received an absentee ballot, and their late vote was recorded.
If a prospective voter showed up at the clerk’s office at 8:00 p.m. and registered to vote, they would never be allowed to cast their ballots on November 8, 2022. That voter would have to wait until the following election to cast a ballot. This is Michigan law, which was created by Michigan legislators, enacted by a Michigan governor, and is anticipated to be upheld by the state’s election officials.
Fourth Erosion of Trust
The report questions whether Ann Arbor’s election laws were applied uniformly and without discrimination. Concerns about potential discrimination are raised by the satellite offices’ proximity to the University of Michigan facilities and the lack of comparable housing near top living facilities.
Any program or activity to safeguard the integrity of the democratic process must, by law, be consistent and nondiscriminatory. The goal of this law, which President Clinton signed into law in 1993, was to make it simpler for citizens to register to vote. Clerks in Michigan are required to abide by both state and national election laws.
The Ann Arbor clerk chose to set up two satellite offices, but she just did so, and she set them both up nearer to the University of Michigan buildings. She didn’t set up a satellite office close to one of the biggest top living complexes in the city’s south quadrant. Is the public’s trust increased by the knowledge that university students aged 18 to 22 were given the option of not having to walk as far, but residents of older living facilities were not treated in the same manner?
Fifth Erosion of Trust
Pizza was among the food and amenities offered by the Washtenaw County Democrat Party. On Election Day, voters in line received popular chocolate, water, and blankets as well. According to Michigan law, it is against the law to directly or indirectly offer or promise significant consideration( a bribe ) in an effort to sway voting behavior.
Making positive students stay in line for same-day registration on campus, Ann Arbor’s fresh State Rep. Jason Morgan tweets a picture of himself eating pizza. VoteBlueToSaveDemocracy, November 14, 2022, The Ann Arbor Independent.
Election officials had a duty to uphold the law and stop illegal behavior.
The report’s conclusion emphasizes the significance of upholding the trust and integrity of elections in the United States. It suggests that increased transparency and important changes should be sparked by violations and erosions of common trust, whether they are overt or covert unfair practices. The report serves as a reminder that compromises in elections can have negative effects by examining Ann Arbor’s actions.
Citizens have a right to expect integrity from public officials and procedures, and they are encouraged to participate in educated discussions about election-related issues. To ensure the good and honest operation of the political system, it is essential to uphold election laws and address violations. Elections are the voice of the people. Elections that are good and truthful are essential to human rights and the democratic republic of the United States.
Compromise can be harmful to elections, even though citizens may agree that it is frequently beneficial for interpersonal relationships.
On Election Night, November 8, 2022, hundreds of University of Michigan students waited in line for hours to cast their ballots at the UM Museum of Art’s satellite office for the city clerk of Ann Arbor. As the temperature dropped below 45 degrees, some students huddled together under donated blankets and received donated pizza and warm cocoa. Source of the image: MLive. Ryan Stanton from The Ann Arbor Chronicle.
Elizabeth Ayoub, a writer for the Michigan Fair Elections, began her career working for an international company, moved to teaching Latin and French when her kids were younger, and finally went on to practice law in Michigan. She is a resident of St. Johns.
MFE and PIME are governed by Patrice Johnson. The original professor served as senior executive with a Fortune 100 technology company and founded five profitable businesses. The Fall and Rise of Tyler Johnson, written by Patrice, served as the inspiration for a documentary film that debuted on PBS across the country in 2022.
