(FOX 2) - A lawsuit is challenging Michigan's Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson's recent decision to ban open carry within 100 feet of polling places on Election Day.
FOX 2 spoke with the man behind the suit, attorney Dean Greenblatt, and about any possible political overtones that may be in his lawsuit.
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‘It’s completely political,’ says attorney of Benson’s ban on open carry
A lawsuit has been filed that challenges Michigan's Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson's decision to ban open carry on Election Day within 100 feet of polling places.
"The political overtone was in the ban of the firearms. It's completely political," he said. Greenblatt represents a coalition of gun owners.
"Not every town around here is like the suburbs and for a fat, bald, old white guy like me, middle class, I'm going to get in my SUV and I'm going to drive to your local polling place and I'm going to carry concealed if I want to exercise my right to self-protection," Greenblatt said.
But in other places, Greenblatt says you might need a gun.
"You can't get a CPL in Wayne County right now until late 2021 ... and neighborhoods that maybe aren't quite so nice, so if they want to go and vote and they want to exercise their right to self-protection, they can't go vote."
Yet the SOS said in a statement:
"This narrowly tailored directive does not infringe upon the right to bear arms. It simply protects voters and election workers by providing much-needed clarity on the existing state and federal laws that prohibit voter intimidation, harassment and coercion."
"I don't remember a single instance during that time where someone has been involved in some intimidation episode at a polling place. Do you?" Greenblatt said.
Nevertheless, the court is going to have to give this a quick hearing because election day is fast approaching.