I've Been Fighting For Election Integrity For Years
Runestad: Benson Attempting To Implement Partisan 2025 Laws In Time For November Election
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August 7, 2024
LANSING, MI — Sen. Jim Runestad is drawing attention to an attempt by Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to implement controversial changes in election law immediately rather than in 2025 as directed by the Legislature.
“If Secretary Benson wants to be a lawmaker, she should run for the House or Senate. Until then, she should wait until bills become law before acting on them,” said Runestad, R-White Lake. “The secretary of state is supposed to follow the state constitution, not bypass it to change election laws at will.”
Runestad’s raising the alarm resulted in the Republican National Committee (RNC) sending Benson a scathing letter on Wednesday, urging her to cease all attempts to subvert the Legislature and state constitution.
Passed along party lines in June, Senate Bill 603 includes numerous controversial changes to election law, including prohibiting boards of canvassers from investigating claims of fraud. The bills were not granted immediate effect, meaning they will not become law until 90 days after the Legislature’s annual session ends, typically in December.
Despite the bill not taking effect until 2025, Benson’s Department of State asked the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) in a July 31 letter to allow for the immediate approval of rules that would implement many of its changes before the November general election.
“The secretary of state is trying to bypass the constitution to keep potential election fraud from being investigated by boards of canvassers in November,” Runestad said. “If the Legislature wanted these changes in effect for the general election, we would have granted the bills immediate effect. We didn’t. Jocelyn Benson doesn’t get to implement laws whenever she pleases.”
The RNC’s letter to Benson states, “It is contrary to those settled principles — and Constitutional separation of powers— to use the administrative rulemaking process to implement a statutory framework before it becomes effective.” The letter continues, “The RNC is committed to both free and fair elections and the rule of law. It hopes that the Bureau of Elections is too. It also hopes that the Bureau will not try to effectuate the proposed ruleset before SB 603 becomes effective.”
Sen. Runestad Testifies On Election Transparency Bills
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May 19, 2021
LANSING, Mich. — Sen. Jim Runestad on Wednesday testified in front of the Senate Elections Committee on two bills he sponsored to improve transparency in elections.
“These two measures will improve transparency, accountability and ultimately confidence in our elections,” said Runestad, R-White Lake. “Making the vote tabulating and auditing process as open and transparent as possible is important to protecting our elections. These are commonsense reforms to help make sure it is easier to vote and harder to cheat.
“Shielding our elections processes from the people only serves to sow doubts, cause division and create a corrupt environment. Shedding light on the processes and allowing the people to participate encourages unity and confidence in the system.”
Senate Bills 275 and 276 would increase transparency in the election process by increasing the public transparency and openness during both the tabulating and auditing of election results.
SB 275 would establish that individuals from each political party may attend, observe and record videos of the process when a voting precinct is randomly selected for an election audit. It would also permit a local clerk to provide live video coverage of a county, city or township vote tabulation process coverage and prescribe procedures and retention requirements.
SB 276 would permit authorized partisan election inspectors, election challengers and poll watchers to photograph and videotape the tabulating of votes after an election. The changes would only apply to the tabulation of votes and would ensure that voters’ privacy and right to a secret ballot are protected.
“It is so important that we make sure both sides can properly view the counting and auditing of ballots,” Runestad said. “If we don’t have confidence in our elections, we don’t have anything. These commonsense improvements to election security, transparency and fairness will help curb fraud and help make our elections as honest as possible.”