LANSING, Mich. — Election security is constantly called into question this election, including by the Michigan Republican Party is questioning the security of absentee voting in Lansing.
Wednesday morning the Michigan Republican Party issued a news release with links to videos claiming to show election drop boxes unlocked, and with ballots accessible inside.
“I am outraged at the complete negligence shown by the Lansing City Clerk’s office and Jocelyn Benson. This is evidence that our election system has potentially been compromised,” Michigan Republican Party Chairman Laura Cox said in the press release.
“There is a huge pressure this election,” said Chris Swope, Lansing City Clerk. “I think anything people are doing to try and discourage people from voting is a sad reflection on them.”
The video shared by the Michigan GOP was posted to Facebook September 25 shows a drop box outside the Foster Community Center left unlocked.
The video shows an envelope in the bottom of the box.
“Whatever it is is in there obviously doesn’t have any green borders on it, so it is not one of our ballot return envelopes. I do not know what the video shows what the item is in the box,” said Swope.
Swope said it’s impossible for it to be a ballot like the person recording the video claims because it was posted shortly after the box was installed and before voters received their ballots in the mail.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is accusing the Michigan Republican Party of spreading misinformation likely intended to suppress voter turnout.
That’s why the matter was turned over to the Attorney General to be investigated as election misinformation.
Late Wednesday, the Michigan Republican Party issued a statement calling for an investigation into the security of drop boxes statewide.
It also criticized Lansing for giving voters the impression the boxes were secure, and attacked Secretary of State Benson saying she is “more concerned with playing partisan games than she is about election integrity.”
However, Swope said this could have easily been avoided.
“If I were the person that had come across this drop box. I would’ve number one, locked it pushed it closed and number two i would’ve contacted the authority that was responsible for it,” Swope said.
13 of Lansing’s 15 drop boxes are new this election cycle.
Swope said the new ones automatically lock when latched, making it easy for anyone to correct an issue.
“I don’t have an issue with people making sure they are locked. people trying to tamper with them or break them or try any other type of intimidation to keep voters from using them should not be tolerated and should be investigated,” he said.
This is the first major general election since Michigan voters approved any-reason absentee ballots in 2018.
Swope said more than 30,000 people in Lansing are taking advantage of that option during the pandemic.
“We will always have to be very vigilant that is why we took the step of installing permanent security cameras,”
Cameras connected to the Lansing Police Department are watching 14 of the 15 ballot drop boxes.
Swope said a camera will be installed at the box outside the election office on South Washington shortly.
Concerned voters can check the status of there ballots at LansingVotes.com.
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