Democrat Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has found herself at the center of a political firestorm just weeks ahead of a pivotal general election. The scandal, which broke on social media, revolves around allegations that Whitmer’s office leveraged its influence to send misleading information to voters through absentee ballot applications.
Republican State Representative Brad Paquette raised the alarm, accusing Whitmer of targeting inactive voter registrations to solicit votes. According to Paquette, Whitmer’s office sent prefilled applications to voters, including some registrations dating back to the 1970s. He claims one such application was sent to a home where his mother grew up, despite her not residing there for decades.
The application allegedly contained a message warning that “freedom and voting rights are at risk,” urging recipients to sign the attached prefilled form, which would then allow a ballot to be mailed to any location based on the signature provided. Paquette’s accusations don’t stop there. He suggested the application’s language was politically charged, attempting to exploit voter fears, particularly around the narrative that former President Donald Trump represents a “threat to democracy.”
He voiced concerns that individuals could use these applications to request ballots under false pretenses, raising questions about the integrity of the election process. While Republicans are pushing for stricter voting laws, including the removal of inactive voters from rolls and the requirement for photo identification to vote, Whitmer and her allies have been advocating for expanded access to absentee voting.
As absentee ballots are set to be mailed out across Michigan starting this Thursday, the controversy could have significant implications for the election. Michigan, which played a crucial role in the 2020 presidential election, is once again a battleground state, with both parties vying for critical votes in what is expected to be a tightly contested race.
In the last two elections, Michigan has proven to be a critical electoral prize. In the 2020 presidential election, Michigan flipped back to the Democrats after narrowly supporting Donald Trump in 2016. President Joe Biden won the state with a 2.8% margin, securing 50.6% of the vote compared to Trump’s 47.8%. This marked a significant shift from 2016 when Trump won Michigan by a razor-thin margin of just 0.3%, the first time a Republican had carried the state since 1988. The results in both elections highlighted Michigan’s status as a swing state, with its diverse electorate playing a decisive role in national outcomes. Voter turnout surged in both elections, particularly in 2020, with an increase in absentee voting due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has since been a focus of debate and controversy regarding election integrity and voting access in the state.
Poll challengers in the state are facing stricter rules ahead of the upcoming November election, a move seen by many as an effort to curb potential disruptions during the ballot counting process. New requirements come as part of a broader trend to limit challenges that occurred during the 2020 election. Poll challengers, who have more authority than poll workers or poll watchers, are tasked with ensuring voter eligibility and overseeing the conduct of election officials. Their actions were in the spotlight in 2020, particularly in Detroit, when some challengers, frustrated by being kept out of a ballot processing center that was filled to capacity, demanded a stop to the count.
