Updates About Elections

The Board of State Canvassers met on August 31 to consider the staff reports from the Bureau of Elections recommending that both the Promote the Vote and the Reproductive Freedom for All ballot initiatives be certified for the general election ballot.

The Board of State Canvassers deadlocked on voting to certify the Promote the Vote initiative, with the two Republican members, Chairman Tony Daunt (R-DeWitt) and Richard Housekamp (R-Grand Rapids) voting against certification. The two members agreed with those challenging certification that it was unclear what in Michigan’s Constitution would be changed under this proposal.

The board later deadlocked once again in voted on the Reproductive Freedom for All proposal. The challenger to the proposal, Citizens to Support Women and Children, argued the lack of spaces between the words on the petition rendered them non-sensical and that the petition violated statutory requirements. It was also argued that the board has denied certification on previous matters due to this same reason. Democrat members of the board who voted for certification were Mary Ellen Gurewitz (D-Detroit) and Jeannette Bradshaw (D-Ortonville). Gurewitz argued that the 700,000 people who signed the petition “obviously found it easy to read”.

At this point, the proposals will not be on the November ballot unless the Michigan Supreme Court intervenes and orders the board to certify. Proponents for both Promote the Vote and Reproductive Freedom for All have indicated they intend to take legal action to ensure the proposals end up on the November ballot. The Board did vote to approve the 100-word summaries for both petitions that would appear on the ballot in the event the Supreme Court intervenes and the measures move forward.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has asked the Prosecuting Attorneys Coordination Council for a special prosecuting attorney to review charges against nine individuals in an investigation into vote tabulators from the 2020 general election.

This investigation stems from a request by Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson who, back in February, asked Nessel to investigate third-party access to vote tabulators. Individuals involved in this investigation were allegedly trying to provide evidence that then-President Donald Trump had the election stolen from him.

Notable individuals included in this investigation are Republican attorney general candidate Matthew DePerno, Representative Daire Rendon (R-Lake City), and Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf. Charges in this case include conspiracy, using a computer system to commit a crime, willfully damaging a voting machine, malicious destruction of property, fraudulent access to a computer, and false pretenses.

In the 34th House District, which encompasses Lenawee County, incumbent Senator Dale Zorn (R-Ida) is facing a recount against Madison Township Fire Chief Ryan Rank after results revealed that Rank lost the Republican primary by seven votes.

Zorn, who decided to run for the House seat as he would be term-limited in the Senate, won the primary with 4,774 votes. Rank received 4,767 votes.

The 77th House District also saw a close primary race, but between Democratic candidates. Emily Dievendorf won the primary with 4,547 votes, while Jon Horford received 4,522 votes – a 25-vote difference. Horford is not seeking a recount.