In 2020, the United States almost imploded when Donald Trump announced that he only lost the presidential election because of voter fraud he claimed the Democratic party orchestrated.
Now, nearly four years later, another presidential election is right around the corner with the same two candidates. The Republican National Committee is still on the lookout for potential voter fraud, and they believe they’ve found it in Michigan.
What Is the RNC?
The Republican National Committee, or the RNC, is in charge of assisting any candidate for the party and promoting the party platform to all voting Americans.
That means, at this point in time, their main goal is getting Donald Trump back in the Oval Office. In addition to running his campaign, the RNC has also been searching for possible threats to the president, including voter fraud.
The RNC Recently Filed a Lawsuit Against Michigan’s Secretary of State
The RNC believes it has found exactly that in Michigan. The organization has reported that more than 50 counties in the state have fewer eligible adult Americans than registered voters.
Since collecting their data, the RNC has since filed a lawsuit against the Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, claiming that she has not complied with the county’s National Voter Registration Act.
Understanding the National Voter Registration Act
In order to comprehend the RNC’s lawsuit, it’s first crucial to understand the National Voter Registration Act, more commonly referred to as the NVRA.
The NVRA was passed in 1993 by then-President Bill Clinton. It “sets forth certain voter registration requirements with respect to elections for federal office.” It includes several regulations, including the instruction that “States [must] implement procedures to maintain accurate and current voter registration lists.”
The RNC Lawsuit
The RNC lawsuit was recently filed with the federal court system. It claims that there are more Michigan registered voters than legal and eligible adults, which they claim is clearly proof that the state has violated the NVRC.
The lawsuit also notes that in several counties, the voter registration rate exceeds 90% of the population of eligible adults, which is extremely uncommon throughout the country.
Voter Registration Data Is More Complicated Than It Sounds
While it may seem like a clear-cut case if the RNC has proof that there are more registered voters than eligible Michigan residents, the situation is actually quite complicated.
Counting voter registrations can be confusing as many Americans don’t change their registration after moving. And since some 25.6 million Americans moved in 2023, it’s possible that the excess of voters in Michigan has more to do with registration mistakes and less to do with intentional voter fraud.
The RNC Has a Response to This Argument, Too
However, the RNC believes they have a winning case as they have a response to this argument as well. They claim that even if voters mistakenly registered twice, the Michigan Secretary of State is still at fault.
Essentially, they report that Michigan’s voter registrations do not meet the standards of the NVRA and that the state should immediately be investigated. So, while they are certainly looking for voter fraud, that’s not the argument the RNC will make in court.
Michigan Secretary of State Responds to the Allegations
Jocelyn Benson has responded to the allegations with a strongly-worded and accusatory statement of her own.
The Secretary of State said in a recent press release, “Let’s call this what it is: a PR campaign masquerading as a meritless lawsuit filled with baseless accusations that seek to diminish people’s faith in the security of our elections. Shame on anyone who abuses the legal process to sow seeds of doubt in our democracy.”
Secretary Benson Says Her Administration Is Unquestionably Following the Law
In addition to her statement pointedly calling out the RNC and its lawsuit, Secretary of State Benson has also explained that she and her team are following the NVRA law to the T.
Benson told the press that they had already removed over 700,000 voters who have since moved or passed away and that the state is exceptionally dedicated to voter security for this election in particular.
Michigan’s Votes Are Essential to Either Candidate
Although they say that every vote counts, in states that always either vote Red or Blue, one vote means a little less. However, Michigan is a swing state, which means every vote really does count.
Whoever wants to be president of the United States in six months will absolutely need the state of Michigan to swing their way. Therefore, this lawsuit could be incredibly influential on who is elected in November.
The RNC Isn’t Just Going After Michigan
While the focus is currently on Michigan and its allegedly questionable voter registration numbers, the RNC isn’t just coming for the Wolverine State.
The RNC has also filed a similar lawsuit against the state of Nevada, claiming that, once again, the number of registered voters exceeds that of eligible adults throughout the state.
These Lawsuits Are About More Than Just Counting Registered Voters
While the RNC is certainly hard at work trying to prove that certain Blue or swing states are somehow breaking the law and maybe even committing voter fraud, these lawsuits are about much more than just counting registered voters.
The sad truth is that, for the first time in history, America’s electoral integrity is in question. Many Americans already question whether their vote actually matters, but now, they’re starting to wonder if it will even be counted at all.
