Senator Ruth Johnson of Michigan has requested an explanation from Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson regarding a reported increase in noncitizens registering to vote. This follows an incident involving a University of Michigan student, a Chinese national, who allegedly voted illegally in the 2024 general election.
Johnson, who previously held the position of secretary of state, expressed her concerns in a letter to Benson. She cited data indicating that 34,535 individuals had registration details that did not match records in the Social Security database this year. “That is a huge increase from previous years and very alarming to me,” Johnson stated. She attributed these discrepancies to changes in voting laws allowing same-day registration without ID verification.
The issue came to light when the University of Michigan student requested their ballot back from the clerk after voting. Johnson criticized recent legislative changes and amendments like Proposal 3 of 2018 and Proposal 2 of 2022 for weakening election integrity measures.
According to Johnson, these changes have removed safeguards that would have previously flagged ballots as challenged if they were cast by individuals registering close to or on Election Day without proper identification. Under current laws, such ballots are counted anonymously with others.
In her communication with Benson, Johnson questioned how many mismatched registrations resulted in votes being cast and what steps are being taken to verify voter eligibility. “We should all want free and fair elections,” she emphasized, arguing that allowing ineligible votes disenfranchises legitimate voters.
Johnson’s call for action highlights ongoing debates over election security and voter eligibility processes within Michigan’s political landscape.
