Livingston Today

In the midst of a contested 2020 presidential election, there has been much speculation on any irregularities in the voting system, especially concerning mail-in and absentee ballots.

Because of this, Michigan Sens. Lana Theis (R-Brighton Township) and Tom Barrett (R-Charlotte) are urging Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to investigate instances of fraud in the state of Michigan. In their letter to Benson, both Theis and Barrett urge Benson's office to investigate the many instances of fraud and abuse that have been alleged throughout the state, reports MiSenateGOP.

In the letter, they wrote, “Every citizen deserves to have faith in the integrity of the election process and its outcome. It is our responsibility, as elected public servants, to assure the people of Michigan of the process’s integrity through complete transparency and the faithful investigation of any allegations of wrongdoing, fraud or abuse.”

Sen. Lana Theis | #MiSenateGOP

In the same letter, they cite the specific instances of fraud and abuse that they would like the secretary of state to investigate, such as the glitches in electronic voting machines, an alleged instance of unsecured ballots being delivered to the counting center and obstacles that were allegedly placed in front of poll watchers, disallowing them to do their job correctly and efficiently. 

These claims, the senators state, are “backed up by sworn affidavits of over 100 Michigan citizens, real people, willing to face legal consequences to their lives and livelihoods to stand by their assertions," according to MiSenateGOP.

They concluded the letter by saying, “As such, and due directly to these issues, we are requesting a full audit be conducted of the 2020 general election prior to the certification of any results. We must take every possible step to ensure that all Michiganders, and all Americans, have confidence that the state of Michigan conducted this election with integrity and accuracy," MiSenateGOP reports.

Instances of voter fraud have been found to be relatively rare, and many investigations into online videos have proven to be false. However, it's clear that lawmakers want to be sure that the results are fair and all votes are accounted for.