Michigan Republican officials have emerged victorious in an election integrity lawsuit against the city of Detroit. The lawsuit accused the city of deliberately failing to hire enough Republican election inspectors, a violation of state law that requires equal representation from both political parties. The Republican National Committee (RNC), along with the Michigan GOP and Wayne County Republican committee chairs, announced that the city has agreed to modify its election protocols by hiring “at least one Republican poll worker in each location.”
The RNC and other entities filed the lawsuit in August, alleging that Detroit had hired seven times as many Democrats as Republicans for poll worker positions. This significant disparity undermines public trust in elections, according to the RNC. The complaint stated that while the Republican Party nominated 675 election inspectors, only 52 were appointed by the city for the primary election. Additionally, Detroit hired up to 250 Republicans who were not nominated by the RNC, resulting in a ratio of seven Democrats to one Republican inspector.
In contrast, over 2,300 election inspectors were hired from the Democratic Party. The RNC emphasized that this unequal distribution not only violates state law but also compromises electoral integrity and fairness.
The City of Detroit’s Corporation Counsel responded to inquiries about this matter by stating that they agreed to take additional steps voluntarily as part of their ongoing efforts to ensure citizens’ respect and confidence in their election process.
RNC Chairman Michael Whatley expressed satisfaction with this outcome and highlighted its significance for transparency and accountability within Detroit’s election protocols. He credited both his organization and Michigan GOP for bringing about these changes.
This victory is part of a broader legal battle pursued by RNC regarding election integrity issues in Michigan. In July, they successfully defended signature verification requirements which had been disregarded by officials. They also filed a lawsuit earlier this year alleging violations of federal law related to voter registration records maintenance.
these legal actions reflect ongoing efforts by Republicans at various levels to safeguard electoral processes and maintain public confidence in them.