Bipartisan Effort Launches to Safeguard Election Integrity in Michigan

In a significant move to protect electoral integrity, former Michigan governors and elected officials from both major parties have united with the Democracy Defense Project. This initiative, spanning eight crucial swing states, aims to counter misinformation and bolster confidence in voting processes ahead of the upcoming presidential election.

James Blanchard, a Democrat who served as Michigan's governor from 1983 to 1991, emphasized the group's commitment to defending the electoral system. "We're going to jointly speak out when people try to call into question the integrity or accuracy of our voting," Blanchard stated. The bipartisan effort includes John Engler, a Republican who governed Michigan from 1991 to 2003, along with former Democratic Lt. Gov. John Cherry and former Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Bishop.

This initiative comes in response to the challenges faced during the 2020 election, where Michigan, among other states, experienced attempts to overturn results. The state, which has 16 electoral votes, has been a key battleground in recent presidential elections, with margins of less than 1% in 2016 and 2000. Michigan's complex electoral landscape includes a mixture of paper ballots and optical scan voting systems, managed by 1,520 city and township clerks.

The Democracy Defense Project plans to utilize various outreach methods, including radio and TV ads, media engagement, and local community involvement. This approach aligns with Michigan's recent efforts to modernize its voting equipment and implement post-election audits, measures introduced since 2017 and 2018 respectively.

Republican members of the project expressed disappointment with former President Trump's continued denial of the 2020 election results. Mike Bishop described Trump's recent debate performance as "painful to watch," while John Engler stated, "He's foolish in my mind for continuing to dwell on this."

Michigan's electoral system has undergone significant changes in recent years, including the implementation of automatic voter registration in 2019 and the allowance of no-excuse absentee voting. These reforms, coupled with strict voter ID laws and the unique "straight-ticket" voting option, highlight the state's complex voting landscape.

The Democracy Defense Project's efforts in Michigan are part of a broader initiative operating in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. As the presidential election approaches, this bipartisan group aims to reinforce the integrity of the electoral process and combat the spread of misinformation that could undermine public trust in democratic institutions.

"Even so, some still plan to support him this year... [They] still believe in the importance of our election system and that the 2020 election was rightly decided."

As Michigan prepares for another potentially close election, the Democracy Defense Project's work becomes increasingly crucial in maintaining the state's tradition of fair and transparent elections.