Michigan: Election Shenanigans 2020, Part I

It's election season again, and there are various schemes afoot to discourage us from voting or to deceive us in some way so that we aren't thinking straight when we do vote. 

This article in the Detroit Free Press, "Michigan election, legal chiefs decry 'racist' robocall that attacks mail-in voting" by Dave Boucher, 8/27/20, describes a robocall that is going around in Detroit:

 

"The top elections and legal officials in Michigan jointly denounced a robocall making the rounds in Detroit on Thursday, labeling it a racist and inaccurate attempt to dissuade the use of mail-in voting.

 

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Attorney General Dana Nessel said they want to warn residents that other misinformation campaigns are likely to crop up as the Nov. 3 general election draws near. "

Here is a YouTube version of the call.

The call claims that "voters who apply for and use absentee ballots are providing personal information that may be used by police to exercise warrants, credit card companies to collect debts and the CDC to 'track people for mandatory vaccines.'"

None of this is true.

"Don't be (inaudible) into giving your private information to the man. Stay safe, and beware of vote by mail," the robocall states.

"Nationally, President Donald Trump and other Republicans continue to repeat false claims about mail-in voting, arguing the process may lead to a rigged or corrupt election. Experts say vote-by-mail does not give an advantage to either political party and election fraud in any form is incredibly rare." 

According to the Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, it's a felony under Michigan law to deter or otherwise disrupt a person trying to vote. Someone convicted of this offense could face a $1,000 fine and up to five years in prison. 

Anyone who receives a suspected robocall should report that information at www.mi.gov/robocall and email the information to elections@michigan.gov, according to the news release

The President suggested in August that he will send law enforcement to monitor polls, a tactic that is well-known for voter intimidation. It turns out that is illegal, too, so he must have been kidding.

Here are two documents [one & two] on Michigan and Federal Election Day Offenses to consider before voting for the Tuesday, November 3rd, 2020 election.

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More voting information ...

Abelone Kelley September 01, 2020 0

Michigan voter information - the Secretary of State's Website is the most reliable source

Last week, Michigan was the subject of a tweet storm between President Trump and Jocelyn Benson, the Michigan Secretary of State. As the dust settled, it turned out the President’s assertions were without merit and the original tweet was deleted, but the odor lingered of a grossly misleading accusation - that the Michigan Secretary of State was implicated in voter fraud. 

I looked to Factcheck.org for an accurate account of what happened. Factcheck.org is a “nonpartisan, nonprofit 'consumer advocate' for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics.” It is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. 

According to this article at Factcheck.org, “Trump’s False Tweet About Michigan Absentee Ballot Applications” by D’Angelo Gore, 5/20/20:
 
“President Donald Trump erroneously tweeted that Michigan’s Democratic secretary of state was 'illegally' sending 'absentee ballots to 7.7 million people' for this year’s primary and general elections.

“The state said it will send absentee ballot applications — not actual ballots — to all registered voters, who may want to vote by mail.”

The article confirms that Benson’s Republican colleagues in Iowa, Georgia, Nebraska, and West Virginia have also mailed absentee ballot applications to voters and there is nothing illegal about it.

“The National Conference of State Legislatures says that all U.S. states allow qualified voters to vote by absentee ballot, and five states (Utah, Colorado, Hawaii, Washington and Oregon) currently conduct all their elections primarily by mail. Michigan is one of 34 states that do not require an excuse from those who want to vote by absentee ballot, according to the NCSL." [emphasis added]
 
The President deleted his original tweet and replaced it with one that claimed incorrectly that sending out ballot applications is illegal. He also threatened to withhold unspecified federal funds from Nevada and Michigan for sending out “illegal” ballot applications.

Furthermore, “Election experts previously told us that fraud via mail-in ballots is more common than in-person voting fraud, but still rare. Plus, a recent study by Stanford University’s Democracy & Polarization Lab found that neither the Democratic or Republican parties would benefit from an entirely vote-by-mail system.”
 
Putting all this aside, the Michigan Secretary of State Website has tons of information on voting. Here are some excerpts that tell you who can vote, where to vote, and how to vote;

How does one register to vote and who is eligible to vote?
 
You can register to vote through Election Day.
 
You must be:

• A Michigan resident (at the time you register) and a resident of your city or township for at least 30 days (when you vote)

• A United States citizen

• At least 18 years of age (when you vote)

• Not currently serving a sentence in jail or prison

[Note that a person under guardianship as determined by a Probate Court is not disqualified from voting. My husband and I are plenary co-guardians for our two sons who have profound developmental and Intellectual disabilities. If we thought they had opinions on who they would like to vote for, we would be happy to facilitate that. But they are unable to communicate or give any indication that they understand the concept of voting, so we will not do that. If we did, I think one could easily question whether we were having them express their own thoughts and opinions, or just giving ourselves two extra votes based on our own opinions.]

Check to see if you are registered to vote
 
[Michigan does not register voters by political party. If you vote in a primary election to choose a candidate for a political party, you must pick which party primary you want to vote in. You may not split your vote between parties.]

Frequently asked questions about voting
 
Excerpts:

Do I need to show identification in order to vote?

Michigan does have a voter identification requirement at the polls. Voters are asked to present an acceptable photo ID such as a Michigan driver's license or identification card. Please note that voters who do not have an acceptable form of ID or failed to bring it with them to the polls still can vote. They simply sign a brief affidavit stating that they're not in possession of a photo ID. Their ballots are included with all others and counted on Election Day….

Can Michigan residents in jail or prison still vote?

Michigan residents confined in jail or prison who are awaiting arraignment or trial are eligible to vote. However, residents who are serving a sentence in jail or prison after conviction cannot vote during the period of confinement. When residents are released from jail or prison after serving a sentence, they are free to participate in elections without restriction.

Can voters be challenged based on home foreclosures?
 
The compilation of home foreclosure information alone does not provide sufficient reason to challenge a person's voting status. In fact, the Michigan Republican and Democratic parties are in agreement that so-called foreclosure lists do not provide a reasonable basis to challenge voters.

How does the voter ID requirement affect me if I vote with an absent voter ballot?
 
If obtaining your absent voter ballot in person, you will be requested to show photo ID. If you are not in possession of photo ID, you can simply sign an affidavit stating you are not in possession of photo ID. This requirement does not apply if requesting your ballot via mail. 

Does Michigan allow early voting?

Michigan Voters can cast absentee ballots beginning 45 days prior to Election Day. These ballots are tabulated on Election Day.

For more information and answers to questions, see Michigan Election and Voter Information

Future Scheduled elections: 

Primary elections: August 4, 2020
General election: November 3, 2020

Abelone Kelley May 25, 2020 0