LANSING — Michigan Democrats say they are ready to defend the state’s election system if the federal government attempts to intervene ahead of the 2026 election.
Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel Junior is criticizing comments from President Donald Trump accusing some states of running crooked elections and suggesting a stronger federal role in overseeing voting.
Hertel argues federal involvement would violate the U.S. Constitution and says Michigan’s elections have repeatedly been reviewed and found secure.
He points to court rulings and past legislative investigations that found no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the state.
A Republican-led Michigan Senate report in 2021 also concluded there was no evidence of widespread or systematic fraud following the 2020 election.
Still, some Republican lawmakers, including State Senate Minority Leader and gubernatorial candidate Aric Nesbitt, have called for federal election monitors in Michigan, arguing additional oversight could increase public confidence in the process.
Michigan’s election system is highly decentralized, with more than sixteen hundred local clerks administering elections while bipartisan canvassing boards certify results.