Michigan Fair Elections Institute

Your Vote. Reassigned. Most Americans have never heard of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. That’s not an accident. Because once it hits 270 electoral votes …your vote won’t stay in your state. It will be reassigned to match the national majority vote. You may cast a ballot. But it will be as if you didn't. Read the full article here: electionintegritynetwork.org/news/your-vote…

🗳️ Want to stay up to date on everything happening in Michigan election integrity? Join News@Noon for a weekly briefing on key developments, important issues and ways to stay involved. 📅 Thursdays at 12 PM 
🎙️ Get the latest updates, insights and action opportunities. Stay engaged. Stay informed. Be part of the conversation. 
👉 Register today and stay informed: mifairelections.webex.com/webappng/sites…

MICHIGAN UPDATE: Two bills have officially been reported out of the Michigan House Election Integrity Committee Here’s what they would do: 📄 House Bill 5091 – Financial Disclosure Updates
 This bill amends the Public Officers Financial Disclosure Act and focuses on defining key terms tied to financial transparency for elected officials. 🔎 What it does: ▪️Clarifies definitions like “earned income,” “unearned income,” “gift,” and “liabilities.” ▪️Applies disclosure requirements to top state officials, including the governor, attorney general, secretary of state and legislators. ▪️Aligns certain definitions with federal standards (such as blind trusts). 📄 House Bill 5717 – Township Election Administration Backup
 This bill amends the Michigan Election Law to address situations where a township clerk is unavailable. 🔎 What it does: ▪️Allows a township to contract with a qualified, accredited election professional if the clerk or deputies cannot perform their duties. ▪️Requires that individual to live within a reasonable distance and be a registered elector. ▪️Grants that person the same authority as a deputy clerk for election related duties. ▪️Requires regular reporting to the township board during the contract period. 🧭 What’s next?
Both bills now move to the full Michigan House of Representatives, where lawmakers will debate, potentially amend and vote on them.

🚨HAPPENING NOW: Justice Department announces indictment against Southern Poverty Law Center ("SPLC"). Our indictment alleges SPLC secretly funneled MORE THAN $3 MILLION in funds to members of white supremacist and extremist groups.

We need to show up BIG! Not just to vote— but to serve. 🗳️ Poll workers 👀 Poll watchers Without the SAVE America Act in place, citizen oversight is more important than ever. Eyes on every ballot. Observe. Report. Document. Peacefully. Lawfully. Honestly. It doesn't fix every vulnerability, but it does make a difference. Primary elections for federal and statewide offices are just around the corner. Contact your county party to learn more about training and serving.

Benson’s connection to the SPLC dates back to the late 1990s. In her memoir The Purposeful Warrior, she describes working undercover posing as a freelance journalist to interact with members of neo-nazi and white supremacist groups as part of research efforts. She later served on the SPLC’s board of directors before entering public office. Questions have resurfaced about the timing and documentation of her departure from that role. Why it matters: •Benson is currently a frontrunner in Michigan’s upcoming gubernatorial race. •The SPLC investigation introduces new political and public scrutiny around her early career work. •Key questions remain about the scope of her involvement and whether any past activities overlap with what federal investigators are examining. At this stage, the DOJ investigation is ongoing, and no direct allegations have been made against Benson. 🗳️ As the race for governor heats up, this issue could become a focal point for voters evaluating candidates’ backgrounds and experience. What do you think, will this impact the race? mifairelections.org/post/breaking-…

‼️BREAKING: The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is now under a federal criminal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice over its past use of paid informants to infiltrate groups the organization classified as “extremist.” According to reporting, the probe is focused on how the organization used confidential informants and gathered intelligence. This development raises serious political questions in Michigan: Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has written in her own memoir that she worked as an undercover operative for the SPLC, investigating hate groups. Now, Benson is running for governor, while the organization she once worked with and later served on the board of, faces a federal criminal probe tied to those same informant practices. Voters deserve transparency and answers:
👉 What exactly was the nature of that work?
👉 How closely was she tied to these operations?
👉 And what does this mean for public trust moving forward?

Why are 29 states & D.C. stonewalling federal officials trying to ensure that your vote isn’t nullified by noncitizens & dead people? @AAGDhillon has already found tens of thousands of noncitizens & hundreds of thousands of dead people—just on voter rolls of cooperating states.

Noncitizens should not be voting in US elections. Why should they be on our voter rolls?

A federal judge just reaffirmed what federal law already says: voter rolls belong to the public. Massachusetts has been ordered to turn over its full voter registration list to Voter Reference Foundation—a major win for transparency and accountability. Voters have a right to know who’s registered and to spot discrepancies. Transparency isn’t optional. It’s the law. yournews.com/2026/04/01/675…

A lot happens in Washington, D.C. committee hearings and most people don’t have time to watch it all. We keep an eye on the moments that matter. Subscribe to Michigan Fair Elections Institute emails and stay up to date on critical developments across Michigan and the nation: mifairelections.org/subscribe Watch the full April 16, 2026 hearing from the Committee on House Oversight with testimonies from the Secretaries of State from Kansas and Minnesota. 🔗 youtube.com/live/HlTLP0_NU…

📣The Michigan Democrat Nominating Convention has selected Garlin Gilchrist as their nominee for Secretary of State. He will face Republican nominee Anthony Forlini in the November general election. Gilchrist, a Detroit native, holds engineering degrees in computer science and computer engineering from the University of Michigan and previously worked as a software engineer at Microsoft, helping build SharePoint. He later became a community organizer and served in roles with Community Change before returning to Detroit, where he worked in city government and created the “Improve Detroit” app. In 2018, he was elected alongside Governor Gretchen Whitmer, becoming Michigan’s lieutenant governor. Forlini, also born in Detroit and raised in St. Clair Shores, earned a business degree from Western Michigan University and is a Certified Financial Planner. A longtime public servant and businessman, owner of Design Financial Inc. and previously served as a township supervisor and state representative. He currently serves as the Macomb County Clerk, bringing direct, hands-on experience overseeing elections at the local level. The role of Secretary of State is one of the most critical positions in Michigan government, overseeing elections, maintaining voter rolls and ensuring transparency at every step of the process. The decisions made in this office directly impact election integrity and public trust in our system. At Michigan Fair Election Institute, we will continue to advocate for secure, transparent and accountable elections because every lawful vote deserves to be counted and every citizen deserves confidence in the outcome. 🗳️ Stay informed. Stay engaged. Election integrity matters. @tonyforlini1 @garlin

Who do you think will win the Democratic nomination for Secretary of State?

📍Michigan Democrats Convention Tomorrow, April 19, 2026 Democrats from across Michigan will gather in Detroit to choose their endorsed candidates, including a key race for Secretary of State. Just like Republicans did in Novi on March 28, this convention will help shape who appears on the November General Election ballot. Whoever emerges as the Democratic nominee will go on to face Republican candidate @tonyforlini1 Anthony Forlini in November. Who do you think will win the Democratic nomination for Secretary of State 👇 @BarbByrum @garlin @SuzannaFormiche

MI Secretary of State Is Enforcing Laws She Wrote Herself When a state official threatens criminal charges, the law being enforced should actually exist. But according to our latest report, that’s not what’s happening in Michigan. On April 14, the Bureau of Elections sent a letter demanding records from Antrim County Clerk Victoria Bishop, warning of potential misdemeanor charges for failing to follow a “lawful instruction.” Here’s the problem 👇 The standard being enforced isn’t found in Michigan law. Instead, it comes from:
• An internal Election Officials’ Manual
• A controversial administrative rule set
• Requirements never passed by the legislature Michigan law already defines what’s required to challenge or maintain voter registrations. But additional burdens like “independent verification” and costly investigation requirements were added outside the legislative process. That raises serious concerns:
⚖️ Can guidance documents be treated like law?
⚖️ Can officials face criminal penalties for violating standards that were never enacted?
⚖️ Who really has authority over election procedures, the legislature or the executive branch? Even lawmakers are raising alarms, calling this a “constitutional crisis in slow motion.” This isn’t just about one clerk or one letter. It’s about a growing pattern of unelected rulemaking and enforcement that impacts every voter and every local election official. Read the full article and report 🔗 mifairelections.org/post/mi-secret…

The Michigan House has passed House Bill 4765 requiring proof of citizenship when registering to vote. The legislation passed Tuesday in a 58–46 vote and would require the Secretary of State to verify citizenship using state and federal databases. To help speed up the process, applicants can also provide their own proof of citizenship, including: • Driver’s license or state ID with citizenship verification (such as an enhanced ID)
• Birth certificate (with name-change documents if applicable)
• U.S. passport
• Naturalization documents or certificate number
• Certificate of citizenship
• American Indian card (DHS “KIC”)
• Tribal documentation (BIA number, census number, treaty card, or enrollment number)
• Consular report of birth abroad These documents can help ensure faster verification when registering to vote. The bill will now move forward to the Michigan State Senate. Stay informed. mlive.com/news/2026/04/m…

Every American citizen deserves to know their vote isn’t being diluted. That’s not political. That’s fairness. Currently, there is nothing getting in the way of noncitizens registering to vote except the honor system. With +20 million noncitizens in the country(many illegally), the honor system doesn't cut it. Pass the SAVE America Act! @senateGOP

NEWS: The RNC is taking Virginia to court over claims of illegal voting from non-residents. foxnews.com/politics/rnc-t…

One person. One vote. It’s the foundation of a fair election—and it only works if every vote belongs to a U.S. citizen. The SAVE America Act helps ensure just that: ✔️ Only U.S. citizens are registered to vote ✔️ Your vote isn’t diluted or canceled out ✔️ Confidence in our elections is restored Election Integrity Network President Sharon Bemis and Coalition Director Sara Vieira joined the Freedom Principle MO podcast to break it all down and discuss why this bill matters. Because your vote should count—once, and only once.