LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – It looks like getting on Michigan’s voter rolls may be easier than getting off them. At least that’s what one woman discovered after moving out of state and specifically requesting that her voter registration be cancelled. Despite her best efforts, Michigan’s election system wasn’t quite ready to let her go.
According to an October 28 article from the Michigan Fair Elections Institute, the former Springfield Township resident sent a signed letter to her local clerk on May 27, explaining that she no longer lived in Michigan and wanted her registration cancelled. Springfield Township Clerk Sean Miller complied, removing her from the state’s Qualified Voter File (QVF) on June 1. Problem solved? Not exactly.
Michigan Puts Her Back on the Rolls
On September 28, the Michigan Bureau of Elections reportedly reversed the cancellation, returning the woman to the voter rolls with a status of “Challenge-Confirm Residency.”
The discrepancy was discovered by volunteer investigator Tim Vetter, whose organization reviews Michigan’s voter registration records monthly. The woman, who now lives in another state, told Michigan Fair Elections Institute (MFEI) that she had no idea her registration had been restored. After being notified, Miller cancelled the registration again. As of October 23, the woman remained off the rolls.
What is Supposed to Happen
According to the Michigan Secretary of State’s procedures, voters can cancel their registration by submitting a signed written request to their city or township clerk or confirming in writing that they have moved out of the jurisdiction. Under Michigan Administrative Rule R 168.260, such cancellations are supposed to take effect immediately. That’s exactly what this woman requested, yet her registration was subsequently reinstated without her knowledge, raising questions about why the cancellation was reversed.
Who’s Controlling Michigan’s Voter Rolls?
The incident raises questions about Michigan’s election system and whether local clerks have final authority over voter registrations of if the state can override them. Michigan Fair Elections Institute founder Patrice Johnson called the incident “very disturbing,” questioning whether the Bureau of Elections was exceeding its authority.
The organization also reported that Republican state Rep. Rachelle Smit, a former clerk, previously described a similar incident involving a deceased voter whose cancelled registration was restored.
An Election System With More Questions Than Answers
The Bureau of Elections had not responded to MFEI’s questions by its publication deadline, leaving the reason for the reinstatement unknown. Michigan News Source also contacted Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s office seeking an explanation for the reinstatement but received no response.
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This isolated case does not establish voter fraud or prove widespread registration problems. However, it raises concerns about oversight, database accuracy and whether cancelled registrations can be restored without adequate verification.
With Election Day approaching, Michigan voters might reasonably wonder: If someone who specifically asks to be removed from the voter rolls can mysteriously reappear, how many other registrations might be affected without anyone noticing?
