LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – One Michigan county clerk is baffled as to why Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) is framing voter roll maintenance and fraud prevention as partisan issues.
“We should be partners in this.”
Anthony Forlini, the Macomb County Clerk and Republican candidate for Michigan Secretary of State, is challenging Benson’s claims in her Thursday press conference where she downplayed more than a dozen potential noncitizens on the voter rolls and lectured Michiganders on “reckless accusations that put Michigan voters at risk.”
MORE NEWS: Lansing Chooses to Recommend Parking Lot Over Parks for Homeless “ModPods”
“We should be partners in this,” Forlini told Michigan News Source. “What were they doing there [on the list]? That’s a big deal,” he said.
Forlini contacted Benson’s office on Jan. 13 after his office identified 239 noncitizens in a jury pool for the 16th Judicial Circuit Court. The Secretary of State’s driver’s license database created that jury pool from automatic driver’s license registrations. Noncitizens can be legally eligible for driver’s licenses but not for jury duty. In addition, Forlini said a comparison with the state’s Qualified Voter File (QVF) showed 15 of those people had been registered to vote.
“Why is she pushing back against it?” Forlini said. “This is more than administrative errors,” He said. “It may be a systemic problem.”
A systemic problem?
That potential systemic problem appears to be lost on Benson as she voiced her anger towards Forlini in a follow-up press release. By her office’s own admission, Benson said the Michigan Bureau of Elections (BOE) found that of the 15 names:
- Three are U.S. citizens and eligible voters.
- Four are apparent noncitizens and the BOE will contact them regarding their eligibility. A nonresponse means registration will be cancelled.
- Four were previously removed from the voter rolls.
- Four are under BOE review for additional documentation to verify their citizenship status.
Benson added, “This is what happens when you prioritize headlines over facts.”
Forlini is running to replace Benson in the 2026 election since she is term-limited. Forlini wants to bring a different level of professionalism to the office. He has pushed for better collaboration between Michigan’s 83 counties. “We at county want to work with anybody that is going to help us come up with answers, including the Secretary of State’s office,” Forlini said.
MORE NEWS: Hacked, Locked Out, and Ghosted by X: Petoskey Woman’s Account Vanishes with No One to Call
Benson is running for governor.
