Reporting misinformation and intimidation in Michigan's election
DETROIT (FOX 2) - The 2024 elections are going to be historic for many ways and Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson promises they're going to be more secure and voters can trust that the state is going to report the vote accurately and fairly.
That being said, there is a lot of misinformation that is being spread online. The state of Michigan is fact-checking it all on their website and law enforcement will be ready, if needed.
There are more than just state resources dedicated to making sure the vote is fair all in the state and nationwide.
Reporting voter intimidation or harassment
If a voter sees evidence of voter intimidation or coercion, they're asked to report it to an election worker as well as the state.
The hotline number is 866-OUR-VOTE
If a member of the public sees possible violations, they can call the department at 800-253-3931 or file a complaint at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.
If you're feeling threatened – immediately call 911. Then contact the department of justice.
The election is on Tuesday Nov. 5. If you want to stay up to date with Michigan voter news, you can tap here.
Reporting election misinformation
As we inch closer to a new President, Benson is fighting misinformation from the owner of a social media channel.
Elon Musk claimed Michigan had more registered voters than eligible citizens.
"There aren’t more voters than citizens in Michigan," Benson said on X. "There are 7.2 million active registered voters and 7.9 citizens of voting age in our state. Musk is pushing a misleading number that includes 1.2 million inactive records slated for removal in accordance with the law."
Musk shot back, saying Benson would "remove the ineligible voters" after the 2024 election.
Michigan reports a total of almost 8.5 million registered voters. However, this number is not entirely accurate. It adds in 338,000 inactive voter registrations that are slated for cancelation in 2025, with 254,000 more in 2027.
State and federal law require voters who are inactive because they may have moved to stay on the rolls until the 2-federal cycle waiting period has passed – a period of time that could be up to four years.
This is how the number of registered voters is higher than the number of active registered voters.
Michigan voters can always go to the Election Fact Checker on the state website where you can find a list of factual information that can let you scroll confidently through the internet.
The State of Michigan has resources for concerned voters who can fact check and report misinformation on the state's website. It is also helpful to check multiple sources when debunking or researching a claim.