Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said Sunday that she will ensure that her state’s voters “know the truth about our elections” heading into the November midterms, after a federal judge again blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to restrict mail-in voting, and as its wider effort to cast doubt on the validity of the elections continues.
“We will use every tool in our toolbox,” Benson said Sunday on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.” “We’ll follow the law. We’ll protect the right to vote. And that’s why, frankly, state officials who know how to do that, to stand up to the president, are so important right now.”
Benson is the Democratic nominee for governor, and is facing Republican Rep. John James in November.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani on Friday extended a previous ruling in which she barred the U.S. Postal Service from enforcing new requirements for mail-in ballots that many critics feared would prevent voters from participating, especially those in marginalized groups. Stemming from a series of executive orders that President Trump issued in March, the requirements would have required the Postal Service to adhere to strict federal guidelines governing the design, transmission and tracking of ballots submitted by mail.
The Trump administration on Sunday filed a last-ditch appeal to the Supreme Court after a federal judge extended an order preventing the U.S. Postal Service from enforcing his order, the third time the administration has asked the high court to intervene. The high court has allowed the plan to move forward but not ruled on whether it is legal.
Although Mr. Trump has claimed that the changes would bolster election security, some state leaders and voting rights groups from around the country argued they would unconstitutionally manipulate who can and cannot be involved in the election process.
Mr. Trump has tried in the past to undermine confidence in Michigan’s elections and, specifically, its mail-in voting procedures. While his accusations have largely been unproven, Michigan lawmakers did find that a handful of non-citizens voted in the last general election in 2024. Of 22 cases under review, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel charged six people with election law violations.
Benson said her office has taken steps to ensure Michigan’s voter rolls are accurate and said cases of non-citizens voting are rare in the state.
“I’m really proud that our elections have been ranked among the most secure and accessible in the nation,” Benson said.
“The fact that we have identified a handful of individuals who are ineligible to vote and we were able to hold them accountable, that shows that the system is working,” she continued. “And I’m proud of the work that our 1,500 local officials do every day to continue to ensure that every eligible vote and only eligible votes are counted in every election.”
