PRESS RELEASE: RightCount Launches Michigan Operations to Rebuild & Sustain Trust in Elections

Grand Rapids, MI: RightCount, an organization dedicated to educating citizens and rebuilding trust in Michigan’s secure election system, today announced the launch of its Michigan-based team and operations. The effort will be led by chaired by Kent County Clerk and former Michigan State Representative Lisa Posthumus Lyons.

“Michiganders take great pride in participating in democracy, and it’s essential that every voter has confidence that their voice is heard and their vote is counted accurately,” said Lisa Posthumus Lyons. “Across our state, election officials work diligently to ensure secure, transparent, fair, and accurate elections. I’m proud to stand with RightCount to help answer questions, provide clarity, and reinforce the trust that underpins our system. The more voters understand the process, the more confident they can be in the results.”

RightCount was organized to restore trust in the electoral process and to support the public officials sworn to uphold the rule of law and ensure legal and accurate vote counts. The operation is actively recruiting and mobilizing local leaders including veterans, firefighters, faith leaders and business owners to build trust in the security and accuracy of the state’s elections. Lyons announced the launch of RightCount Michigan during a sit-down interview with News 8 TV reporter Rick Albin.

Working together with Targetpoint, RightCount conducted survey research into messengers and key reforms that are most effective in restoring trust and confidence in elections. Among 2024 Trump voters in Michigan, our research found:

• Trump voters in Michigan express significantly more confidence in the 2024 presidential election versus 2020. While 56% are not confident in the accuracy of 2020 election process, 81% were confident in the 2024 results.
• Even with improving conditions, we also see that only 10% believe the nation’s elections are practically fraud free, with 13% seeing MI’s elections as practically fraud free. That leaves a big majority open to the idea that at least some elections have meaningful fraud occurring.
• When thinking about where the perceived election fraud in Michigan is most common, 50% say that it’s most common in Democrat-controlled areas, 24% say that election fraud is about equally common across the state.
• Similarly, 53% agree that “’The process may be fair in most of Michigan, but I don’t trust what happens in Detroit and most of Wayne County”.
• When presented with a battery of potential threats to the election integrity, Michigan Trump voters tended to focus on mail-in ballots and improper people being allowed to vote as the biggest threats.
• This corresponds with their strong support for requiring verification of ID, citizenship, and voter registration before allowing someone to cast a ballot.
• Big majorities also strongly support requiring 24/7 surveillance of ballot drop boxes and requiring ballots be stored in locked containers and facilities while being processed.
• When asked to consider who they trust to provide accurate information about elections and voter integrity efforts, Trump voters tended to have most amount of trust in Military Veterans along with Law Enforcement and Firefighters and their City or Township Clerk.

In addition to recruiting and organizing trusted messengers and sharing reforms that build trust in elections, RightCount will also mobilize community voices to support election officials in carrying out their sworn duties in forthcoming elections.

About RightCount:

RightCount is a 501(c)(3) entity that conducts research and educates fellow citizens around election integrity issues. To learn more about RightCount’s efforts in Michigan, visit https://www.rightcount.org/states/michigan.

Media Contact: Chris Maloney, cmaloney@blackrockgrp.com

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