Michigan Election Integrity 2026 Update

March 2026

In light of continued concerns about election integrity in Michigan and nationwide, this post compiles proven and prosecuted cases of illegal ballots alongside materials presented as evidence from the 2020 cycle and recent alarms sounded by Michigan election integrity experts.

All information is presented regardless of court outcomes, official audits, or explanations from the Secretary of State’s office. The goal is transparency for voters, legislators, and clerks so Michigan’s election system can be strengthened.

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Proven and Prosecuted Cases of Illegal Ballots

(Official prosecutions, guilty pleas, referrals, and databases)

• Jose Vasquez-Rosa (non-citizen) pleaded guilty to casting illegal absentee ballots in both the 2018 and 2020 elections using a fake ID.
• Michigan Secretary of State identified ~15 apparent non-citizen ballots cast in the 2024 general election (out of 5.7 million total votes); 13+ cases referred for prosecution, including a Chinese student in Washtenaw County who was charged (and subsequently allowed to flee the country).
• St. Clair Shores 2024 primary: 4 voters + 3 election clerks charged with double voting.
• Hamtramck 2023 local elections: council members and associates charged with forging absentee ballots and illegal ballot harvesting.
• Heritage Foundation voter fraud database documents dozens of Michigan cases across election cycles involving absentee signature forgery, improper ballot possession, and other violations.

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Materials Presented as Evidence in 2020 Michigan and National Claims

(Sworn affidavits, videos, filings, and statistical reports — regardless of later dismissals or corrections)

• 100+ sworn affidavits from Republican poll watchers and challengers at Detroit’s TCF Center alleging ballots processed without verification, backdated post-deadline absentee ballots, duplicate scanning, and ballots assigned to random or ineligible voter names not in the voter file.
• Video footage from TCF Center showing vans delivering large batches of ballots (one cited with ~16,000 ballots) in the early morning hours of November 4, 2020, plus “suitcase” ballot containers used during processing — cited as evidence of unsecured late deliveries.
• Multiple affidavits claiming observers were harassed, kept at unsafe distances, or denied meaningful access to monitor counting and chain-of-custody.
• Antrim County initial tabulation report showing a ~6,000-vote discrepancy/flip, presented with claims of software or clerical manipulation.
• Legal filings alleging over 289,000 potentially illegal absentee ballots, discrepancies in rejection rates, and turnout anomalies, supported by expert affidavits and data analysis.
• Parallel examples from other states (Georgia State Farm Arena “suitcase” video, Arizona and Pennsylvania affidavits on signature verification and chain-of-custody failures).

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Recent Alarms Sounded by Michigan Election Integrity Experts

(2024–2026 claims focused on systemic vulnerabilities created by Secretary Benson’s rules changes and policies)

Republican legislators, clerks, and organizations including the Michigan Fair Elections Institute (MFEI), Pure Integrity Michigan Elections (PIME), Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF), and RNC Election Integrity Counsel continue to raise red flags about weakened safeguards:

• Dead voter rolls: ~25,975 dead voters still listed on Michigan rolls (95% marked active); thousands deceased 5–20+ years. PILF lawsuit and 2026 updates allege Secretary Benson was notified but refused full purge/audit, violating the National Voter Registration Act.
• Republican State Senator Lindsey: “A Chinese national was able to vote in Michigan illegally, because our Democrat Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has dismantled any meaningful safeguards… the Dems have waged war on our elections for over a decade.”
• Michigan House Republicans: Sued Benson for subpoena non-compliance; Rep. James DeSana introduced articles of impeachment (HR 118, June 2025) for “illegitimate administration” of the election system.
• Patrice Johnson (MFEI / PIME): Benson’s proposed voter-roll-maintenance rules make fraud “easier” by (1) limiting challenges to “personal knowledge” only (excluding databases), (2) extending inactive-voter removal to 20 years. MFEI report found 28% error rate (deceased, dual-registered, non-residents) in sampled long-inactive records.
• Pure Integrity Michigan Elections (PIME) + Rep. Rachelle Smit (Chair, House Election Integrity Committee): Three new administrative rule sets allegedly enable systemic issues —
  • Rule 13: Voter challenges restricted to “personal knowledge” + fees
  • Rule 14: Electronic pollbooks — destroy data after 7 days (claimed to violate federal 22-month retention)
  • Rule 15: Challengers/poll watchers — mandatory training, government liaisons only, subjective removal (“systemically quash citizen oversight”)
    Smit’s committee pursued subpoenas/contempt and called for federal monitors in 2026.
• RNC Election Integrity Counsel Luke Bunting and Patrick Colbeck: Opposed fast-tracking of Public Act 74 rules (limits fraud investigations/recounts, bans “fraud” term, doubles costs). Benson’s statement “If someone were to violate the law… we will come for you” described as intimidation of canvassers.
• Court of Claims rulings striking Benson guidance: mismatched/missing absentee stubs cannot be counted; signature “presumption of validity” incompatible with law; prior losses on poll-challenger directives.
• House Election Integrity Committee testimony (Detroit activists, Macomb Clerk Anthony Forlini, etc.): Fraudulent absentee ballots cast without consent; voter rolls exceeding eligible adults in cities; same-day registration loopholes; reduced chain-of-custody under expanded no-excuse absentee and drop boxes.

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Bottom Line
While isolated proven fraud cases remain relatively few, election integrity experts in Michigan argue that Secretary Benson’s policy and rule changes have created systemic vulnerabilities in voter-roll maintenance, challenger access, record retention, and oversight. These concerns are distinct from the isolated prosecutions and are being raised by sitting legislators, clerks, and non-partisan watchdogs ahead of future elections.

The Washtenaw County Republican Party will continue monitoring these issues and supporting common-sense reforms such as voter ID, timely roll cleaning, and transparent chain-of-custody rules.

Stay informed. Demand transparency. Protect every legal vote.

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References

• Heritage Foundation Election Fraud Database — Documented and prosecuted Michigan cases (search by state for absentee forgery, double voting, and illegal ballot possession).
• Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) — Michigan Voter Rolls — Analysis identifying ~25,975 deceased individuals still listed on active Michigan voter rolls (2025–2026 updates), including extreme cases of long-deceased registrants.
• Michigan House of Representatives – Election Integrity Committee — Official page for the committee chaired by Rep. Rachelle Smit (investigations into Administrative Rules 13, 14 & 15, subpoenas, and oversight concerns; includes testimony records).
• Michigan Fair Elections Institute (MFEI) & Pure Integrity Michigan Elections (PIME) — Reports and testimony by Patrice Johnson on voter-roll maintenance rules, 28% error rate in inactive records, and systemic vulnerabilities.
• Court of Claims of Michigan rulings — 2024–2025 decisions striking Secretary Benson’s guidance on absentee ballot stubs, signature verification, and poll-challenger rules.
• Michigan House Republican Caucus communications — Articles of impeachment (HR 118) introduced by Rep. James DeSana (June 2025) and subpoena enforcement actions.
• RNC Election Integrity Counsel demand letters and statements — Luke Bunting on Public Act 74 rules and canvasser intimidation concerns.
• Let’s Fix Stuff — (Patrick Colbeck) detailed articles and updates on Secretary Benson’s rules changes, Public Act 74, voter roll issues, court rulings, and election integrity analysis.
• Jason Lemoyne Daniel, a Civil War-era veteran born in 1850, has remained in Michigan’s Qualified Voter File and is reportedly associated with ballots cast in recent elections (2020, 2022, and 2024 cycles). This is an extreme example of inadequate deceased-voter removal.
• Official prosecution records (Michigan Attorney General & county prosecutors) — Hamtramck 2023 absentee forgery/harvesting cases, St. Clair Shores 2024 double-voting charges, and 2024 non-citizen ballot referrals (including Washtenaw County).
• Sworn affidavits & court filings from 2020 — Costantino v. Detroit (TCF Center), Antrim County tabulation discrepancy case, and related Wayne County litigation (public docket records).

Note: Primary documents (committee testimony, rule proposals, PILF lawsuits, and prosecution filings) are available via the Michigan Legislature website, FOIA requests, or the organizations listed above.

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This post is a compilation of publicly available prosecutions, sworn statements, legislative records, and expert testimony.