Michigan’s Democrat secretary of state violated state law in the 2020 election when she issued “guidance” on the evaluation of absentee ballots, a judge ruled last week.
State Court of Claims Judge Christopher Murray ruled Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s guidance issued to Michigan clerks in early October that instructed them to presume the accuracy of absentee ballot signatures is invalid.
The judge said Benson did not go through the proper rule-making process when issuing the guidance and that clerks do not need to comply with it for future elections.
“The presumption is found nowhere in state law,” wrote Murray. “The mandatory presumption goes beyond the realm of mere advice and direction, and instead is a substantive directive that adds to the pertinent signature-matching standards.”
