Michigan elections FAQ: Why bloated voting rolls don’t lead to fraud
- In the latest Elections FAQ show, reporters discuss bloated voter rolls fraud safeguards
- Vice President Kamala Harris and Former President Donald Trump are neck and neck in Michigan two weeks ahead of the election
- More than 1 million people have already submitted their ballots in the state
Michigan’s voter rolls have become bloated due to election reforms, but the state has safeguards to deter fraud, Bridge Michigan reporters said on Monday’s Elections FAQ show.
Reporters Lauren Gibbons, Simon Schuster and Mike Wilkinson answered readers' questions about recent visits from presidential candidates, election rules and campaign messages about abortion.
The state has 8.4 million registered voters, according to the latest records obtained by Bridge Michigan, nearly 500,000 more than the number of people in the state who are old enough to vote.
One major cause of the imbalance: A voter-approved 2018 proposal that automatically registers those 18 and older to vote when applying for a driver license, unless they opt out.
“It seems almost fantastical that you could have more people registered than you have in the state who are old enough,” Wilkinson said.
Related:
- Michigan voter rolls inflated by 500K. State says it’s no issue. GOP disagrees
- May the most ‘regular guy’ win? Fight is on in tight Michigan congressional race
- Kamala Harris, Donald Trump take Michigan fight to key corners of state
- Donald Trump, Kamala Harris target Detroit as early in-person voting begins
But if those people move to a different state and didn’t intend to register “there’s no way that the state would have known that they were no longer on the voting rolls,” Wilkinson said.
The state is expected to remove 600,000 people in the next few years, Wilkinson said.
Watch the full video in the player below:
Other questions answered:
- More than 1 million Michigan voters have already submitted their ballots. What does it mean? A vote is the same whether it’s cast early, absentee or in-person on Election Day, Wilkinson said: “I don’t think we can look at that million and say ‘Oh my gosh, the Democrats have such a lead.’ It just means a lot of people are really interested in this election, as we would have suspected.”
- Can people who come to the country illegally vote in the election? No, only citizens can vote in U.S. elections. U.S. citizens who apply for a Michigan driver license are automatically registered to vote, unless they choose to opt out. Bridge explains that process in detail here.
- How can the media ensure reporting does not enable conspiracy theories? Gibbons said reporters explore where theories come from, follow the facts, and inform readers. Sometimes, that means a reporter looks into a claim but doesn’t write a story.
You find the full video on the Bridge Michigan YouTube channel.
This free, online event was part of our Michigan elections FAQ series that aims to engage and inform readers about critical contests that will help shape the direction of our state and country.
Join us next week for another show on Monday, Oct. 28, at 11:30 a.m. Sign up now, and ask your question about Michigan elections here.
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