Republicans Report ‘Glitch’ in Michigan as Duplicate Ballots Found
Investigations Confirm the Presence of Duplicate Ballots
The Republican National Committee (RNC) reported what they identify as a ‘glitch’ after receiving reports of thousands of duplicate ballots in the Michigan elections, a crucial swing state. Lara Trump, co-chair of the RNC and daughter-in-law of Donald Trump, said on X, formerly Twitter, that their election integrity team confirmed the existence of these duplicates which will not be counted in the upcoming polls.
Following the allegations, various entities with ties to the Republican party filed lawsuits related to the alleged errors. The suits put a spotlight on the issue of election integrity as the race between Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris approaches. Critics say these suits have the potential to dispute the election results, weakening the democratic integrity of the overall process.
Michigan Responds to the Glitch
Cheri Hardmon, the senior press secretary for Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, confirmed that the Qualified Voter File only allows one ballot to be accepted per voter in every election. Hardmon explained that due to a formatting error, multiple lines of data could appear for the same voter ID, which could have led to the creation of duplicate ballots.
Matthew DePerno, a former Michigan GOP attorney general candidate, echoed Ms. Trump’s allegations claiming that the database recorded an excess of 164,568 votes as of October 29, 2024. He stated that further investigation revealed that this was happening as Michigan voters have been casting ballots from multiple addresses across the state. It’s important to note that DePerno is awaiting trial for charges related to an alleged illegal tampering with voting machines in the 2014 Michigan election.
Experts Weigh in on the Glitch
Political commentator Ed Krassenstein dismissed the claims saying that multiple votes being cast from the same voting ID would have immediately been flagged. He argued that even if a casting error did occur, only one vote per individual would be counted. He further cautioned against making assumptions based on database entries without concrete evidence of voter fraud.
Michigan’s Handling of Voter Fraud
The Michigan authorities have taken a proactive stance against any form of voter fraud. Recently, Michigan Secretary of State Benson and Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit announced charges against a non-U.S. citizen who illegally registered to vote and subsequently cast a ballot in the 2024 election.
In a joint statement, Benson and Savit expressed the state’s commitment to prosecuting voter fraud cases to the full extent of the law. They stated, “let this be clear: Voting records are public. Any non-citizen who attempts to vote fraudulently in Michigan will expose themselves to great risk and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
In the Heat of the Election
Recent polling suggests a tough competition between Trump and Harris for the battleground state of Michigan. Following these allegations, both the supporters and critics of the Republican party will be closely monitoring the situation to ensure the election’s integrity remains intact.
