{"id":1674007,"date":"2022-10-05T12:32:55","date_gmt":"2022-10-05T16:32:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1674007"},"modified":"2022-10-05T12:35:43","modified_gmt":"2022-10-05T16:35:43","slug":"lawsuit-michigan-secretary-of-state-broke-the-law-with-rogue-restrictions-on-poll-challengers-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lawsuit-michigan-secretary-of-state-broke-the-law-with-rogue-restrictions-on-poll-challengers-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Lawsuit: Michigan Secretary of State Broke The Law With Rogue Restrictions On Poll Challengers"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Flawsuit-michigan-secretary-of-state-broke-the-law-with-rogue-restrictions-on-poll-challengers-2%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1674007&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><\/div>\n<p>Even among the most extreme Democratic secretaries of state, Michigan\u2019s Jocelyn Benson stands out. <\/p>\n<p>A former employee of the left-wing Southern Poverty Law Center and Democratic National Committee, Benson\u2019s a committed Democratic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.influencewatch.org\/person\/jocelyn-benson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">activist<\/a>. And as Michigan\u2019s secretary of state during the chaotic 2020 presidential election, Benson played a key role in making last-minute changes to election law to bolster Democratic voter turnout and swing Michigan in then-candidate Joe Biden\u2019s favor. <\/p>\n<p>When a $12 million grant from Mark Zuckerberg \u2014 \u201cZuckbucks\u201d \u2014 was <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2021\/10\/12\/the-2020-election-wasnt-stolen-it-was-bought-by-mark-zuckerberg\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">funneled <\/a>to Michigan through the left-wing Center for Election Innovation and Research ostensibly to help government officials administer elections, the money did not go to the state but to Benson\u2019s nonprofit, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.influencewatch.org\/non-profit\/the-michigan-center-for-election-law-and-administration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the Michigan Center for Election Law and Administration<\/a>. While supposedly nonpartisan, this nonprofit used nearly all of the $12 million grant <a href=\"https:\/\/thestarnewsnetwork.com\/2021\/08\/05\/zuckerberg-funded-nonprofit-paid-11-8-million-to-democrat-political-consulting-firms-for-nonpartisan-voter-education-in-michigan-2020-election\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">to pay Democratic consulting firms<\/a> for \u201celection security.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Benson also allegedly padded Michigan\u2019s voter rolls right before the election,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/content.govdelivery.com\/accounts\/MISOS\/bulletins\/2a4effc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sending out automatic voter registration forms<\/a>\u00a0to all eligible Michigan citizens. As a result of the mailer, 114,000 people were added to the rolls.\u00a0Benson has not escaped scrutiny for her behavior. She\u2019s been the subject of multiple <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2022\/08\/26\/judge-denies-michigan-secretary-of-states-motion-to-dismiss-lawsuit-removing-26000-dead-registrants-from-voter-rolls\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">lawsuits<\/a> for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bridgemi.com\/michigan-government\/lawsuit-jocelyn-benson-allowing-suspiciously-high-voter-registration-rates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">neglecting to clean Michigan\u2019s voter rolls<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>But most recently, Benson\u2019s come under fire for issuing last-minute guidance restricting the ability of Michiganders to oversee their local elections. The Republican National Committee filed a <a href=\"https:\/\/prod-media-assets.protectthevote.com\/media\/document\/filing\/4854-7851-0134_v1_Summons._Verified_Complaint_Exhibit_List_and_Exhibits_submitte.pdf\">lawsuit<\/a> on Monday to stop Benson\u2019s guidance from going into effect for the November general election. The lawsuit alleges that before Michigan\u2019s Aug. 2\u00a0primary, Benson issued last-minute <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/sos\/-\/media\/Project\/Websites\/sos\/01vanderroest\/SOS_ED_2_CHALLENGERS.pdf?rev=96200bfb95184c9b91d5b1779d08cb1b&amp;hash=2CE1F512E8D7E44AFAF60071DD8FD750\">guidance<\/a> that conflicts with Michigan election law regarding poll challengers.<\/p>\n<p>Such guidance includes:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Creating a last-minute new credential form for poll challengers, adding another barrier to citizen oversight.<\/li>\n<li>Creating an artificial deadline for when poll challengers can be appointed, i.e., challengers can be appointed up until Election Day, but not on the day itself. This means same-day election challengers could be rejected by election officials, despite Michigan law imposing no such requirement.<\/li>\n<li>Restricting which poll workers the challengers can communicate with (under Michigan law, election challengers can speak with any election inspector) and restricting the potential grounds for challenges.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Prohibiting the possession of certain electronic devices \u2014 \u201ccapable of sending or receiving information\u201d \u2014 in absentee ballot counting areas, despite no such prohibition in Michigan election law.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In issuing such last-minute guidance \u201cwithout any formal rulemaking or process,\u201d Benson violated Michigan\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/dtmb\/-\/media\/Project\/Websites\/dtmb\/Law-and-Policies\/Admin-Guide\/2400\/241003-Administrative-Procedures-Act.pdf?rev=1cfb6e62159349dab44b3c8a62a210ce&amp;hash=22FA4BB418293AEF382ABA3BC6946469\">Administrative Procedures Act<\/a> by merely uploading the guidance onto the Michigan secretary of state\u2019s website, the lawsuit alleges. <\/p>\n<p>This isn\u2019t the first time Benson has been accused of violating this state law. In March 2021, State Court of Claims Judge Christopher Murray <a href=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2021\/03\/15\/judge-rules-secretary-state-bensons-ballot-signature-verification-guidance-invalid\/4699927001\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">overruled<\/a> Benson\u2019s instructions to Michigan election clerks to presume the accuracy of absentee ballot signatures because she did not go through the proper rule-making process when issuing the guidance.<\/p>\n<p>Benson has a history of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/magazine\/story\/2016\/08\/poll-election-monitor-challengers-vote-laws-watchers-214189\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">supporting restrictions on poll challengers<\/a>, a tactic used to decrease <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2020\/11\/18\/georgia-republican-poll-watcher-discovered-recount-error-off-by-more-than-9000-votes-for-biden\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">citizen oversight<\/a> into local elections and rig them in Democrats\u2019 favor. But it\u2019s not just happening in Michigan: The RNC has also\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/2022-midterm-elections-north-carolina-constitutions-raleigh-3a8265cb40bab4c3184c62f96832c6e1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sued<\/a>\u00a0North Carolina\u2019s State Board of Elections for similar efforts to restrict poll watchers in violation of state election law.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVolunteers across the political spectrum have a right to be poll challengers, and election laws exist to be followed \u2014 not subverted by Democrat officials at the last minute,\u201d RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a press release.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n<p>\n  Victoria Marshall is a staff writer at The Federalist. Her writing has been featured in the New York Post, National Review, and Townhall. She graduated from Hillsdale College in May 2021 with a major in politics and a minor in journalism. Follow her on Twitter @vemrshll.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Even among the most extreme Democratic secretaries of state, Michigan\u2019s Jocelyn Benson stands out. A former employee of the left-wing Southern Poverty Law Center and Democratic National Committee, Benson\u2019s<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1130,"featured_media":1674011,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1674007","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1674007","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1130"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1674007"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1674007\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1674011"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1674007"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1674007"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1674007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}