The matter stems from the 2022 elections, in which the Board of Election Commissioners in Flint, Michigan, did not hire an adequate number of Republican poll worker inspectors. Michigan’s GOP claimed this violated Michigan’s state election laws, specifically citing Michigan Election Law Act 116 of 1954.

“The board of election commissioners shall designate one appointed election inspector as chairperson,” reads the law. “The board of election commissioners shall appoint at least one election inspector from each major political party and shall appoint an equal number, as nearly as possible, of election inspectors in each election precinct from each major political party.”

RNC Chairman Michael Whatley touted the ruling as a victory in the fight for fair elections and a “major win for election integrity in Michigan.”

“This is a major win for election integrity in Michigan,” Whatley said in a press release about the court’s decision. 

“The Michigan Supreme Court ruled that the RNC has standing to hold Flint’s Board of Election Commissioners accountable for violating state law,” he said. “Every voter deserves transparency and fairness — and that starts with equal representation among poll workers.” 

“The RNC will keep fighting and winning to secure honest elections across the country,” Whatley added.

SUPREME COURT ALLOWS TRUMP PLAN TO CUT FEDERAL WORKFORCE

The court’s ruling was the second such ruling in Michigan within the last nine months. Previously, the city of Detroit was found to be in violation when it did not hire a sufficient number of Republican election workers, including inspectors. During the August 2024 primary, there were reportedly “hundreds of locations” without Republican election workers and inspectors. In some instances, there were “seven times as many Democrats hired than the number of Republicans.” The city reached a settlement in October 2024 to change its “processes and protocols” to adhere to state law implemented during the 2024 presidential election.

“Thanks to the efforts of the RNC and Michigan GOP, Detroit will now change its election processes so that Republican poll workers will be allocated to all voting locations and, as nearly as possible, an equal number of Republicans will be hired this November,” Whatley said at the time. “This will bring much-needed transparency and accountability to Detroit’s election system and ensure that a more equal number of Republicans and Democrats work Detroit’s polls — our election integrity operation will continue to fight and win for our country’s most important election.”