Michigan

RightCount Michigan

RightCount is an educational organization committed to elevating the voices of Michiganders to affirm the security and integrity of elections. We share policy changes that build trust among voters and provide cover for election officials to uphold their oath and the rule of law free from intimidation.

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Message from our Chair

“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. 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.”

Lisa Posthumus Lyons – Kent County Clerk / Register of Deeds

RightCount, State Chair

State Info

God has blessed America, but our freedom only survives if our election officials honor their oath to support and defend the Constitution. Election falsehoods and threats against election officials are growing problems that erode public trust in elections and the strength of our constitutional system of government. Our democracy cannot function if the public servants who administer our elections fear for their lives just for doing their jobs.

RightCount is dedicated to honoring America’s Founding, upholding the Constitution and counting every vote. By working with firefighters, police officers, veterans and small business owners to educate voters across Michigan on the integrity and accuracy of the electoral processes, RightCount will reduce the appeal of extremism for election doubters and build confidence in the outcome of elections.

Key Election Reforms in Michigan

01
Voter ID, Citizenship, and Voter Registration
02
Paper Ballots Required to be Stored in Locked Facilities.
03
Ballot Drop Boxes are Monitored By Video Surveillance.
04
Officials Conduct Independent Testing of Every Voting Machine.

FAQs

Can non-citizens vote in Michigan?

No. It’s illegal to vote in Michigan in any election if you are not a U.S. citizen. This is also true for federal elections in all 50 states. There is no evidence to support claims that large numbers of noncitizens have voted in past elections or registered to vote in 2024. In fact, the name of everyone who registers or votes in an election is a public record.

Does Michigan require Voter ID?

Every Michigan voter who votes in person during early voting or on Election Day must comply with the requirement by showing photo identification or signing an affidavit attesting that they are not in possession of photo identification. Voters can satisfy the ID requirement by showing a Michigan driver’s license or a Michigan personal identification card.

What can a voter expect during the in-person voting process in their hometown?

Election Day polling locations are managed by several election workers officially designated as “Election Inspectors”, equally representative of both major political parties – and any time a voter is assisted, they are to be assisted by a Republican and a Democrat. Upon arriving at the polling location, the voter’s identity is confirmed using photo identification (or an affidavit under the penalty of perjury if the voter is not in possession of photo identification), and the poll book is updated to ensure that voter may only vote once. After the voter completes the marking of their ballot, the ballot is feed into the precinct tabulator. In that instant, so long as the voter made no errors, the ballot is accepted by the machine and the vote is tabulated and stored until the polls close. How a voter votes is known only to that voter, and the results in a precinct tabulator are not known to anyone until after the polls close.

What is the prevalence of fraud in elections?

Voter fraud in Michigan is extremely rare and isolated. Security checks prevent it, and when it does happen, the perpetrators are caught and prosecuted. If you see something you believe to be election fraud, a full description of the matter involving any suspected illegal activity should be reported to the Michigan Department of State Office of Investigative Services: SOS-OIS@Michigan.gov or 844-372-8356, the FBI: tips.fbi.gov or 800-CALL-FBI.

Does the state of Michigan maintain a paper trail of all recorded votes at each polling location?

Yes! After the polls close at 8:00 p.m., the precinct tabulators are closed-out by an election inspector so that no more ballots may be accepted once all voters are processed. Three copies of the results tape of every tabulator are printed to maintain a verifiable paper trail.

Where can I report perceived instances of election misinformation in Michigan?

You can report instances of misinformation to the Secretary of State’s office via email.  Email misinformation@michigan.gov and include as much information as possible in the report, including date, time, example, and any proof or documentation in attachments. The office will investigate the report and follow up when necessary.

Does Michigan keep a paper trail of all recorded votes?

Yes, Michigan uses all paper ballots and prints paper tallies of the counts. There is always a physical record of all votes. The physical record ensures reporting errors are caught and corrected before or at the county canvass.

How does Michigan conduct oversight to ensure that a voter can only vote once?

Michigan’s Qualified Voter File (QVF) is a secure voter records database that sends and receives regular updates of a voter’s ballot activity. If a voter submits an absentee ballot or casts a ballot at an early voting site, that information is updated in the QVF and flagged for election workers to prevent double voting. If a voter submits an absentee ballot and then votes at an early voting site, the absentee ballot will be rejected and does not count.

Who maintains Michigan’s voter rolls, ensuring that only qualified voters can cast a ballot?

Michigan’s voter rolls are regularly maintained in accordance with state and federal law. Michigan’s list of registered voters is maintained on the Qualified Voter File (QVF), a database developed by the state of Michigan and maintained by municipal and county clerks and the Bureau of Elections. The QVF is constantly updated whenever a new voter registers, a voter updates his or her registration information (such as an address), or a voter’s registration is cancelled. As of March 2025, the Bureau of Elections and clerks across the state had canceled more than 1,412,750 voter registrations since 2019. This included 635,052 voter registrations of people who had died, 588,247 registrations belonging to those who had received a cancellation notice based on a change of residency and did not respond to the notice or engage in voter activity in the two-federal-cycle period, and 18,489 registrations for people who requested to have their own records canceled. As of April 2025, there are more than 266,905 voter registrations slated for cancellation in 2027 or 2029.

What is Michigan’s “Home Rule” governing structure, and how does it apply to election processes and administration?

To truly understand how our elections are administered in Michigan, you must first understand the state’s “Home Rule” governing structure. “Home Rule” means that many government functions are handled at the city or township level rather than centrally at the statewide or county level. Elections are no different, and there are similarities and differences even between jurisdictions within Michigan as to the administration of elections.

What steps has Michigan taken to ensure the security of ballot drop boxes?

Local clerks are required to maintain the security of the drop boxes and only people authorized by the clerk are allowed to open drop boxes or handle their contents. Both absentee ballot applications and ballots may be returned to a ballot drop box, which must be available 24 hours a day in the 40 days before an election. Ballots must be accepted until 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Who certifies election results in Michigan? Is certification a required course of action?

Bipartisan boards of canvassers at the county and state level are required by law to affirm the will of the people by certifying the results of elections. Our legislature has passed, and the Governor has signed, legislation making that law even stronger – up to and including civil or criminal charges for failure to act in accordance with their duties under the law.

As the state of Michigan thoroughly examined allegations of false reporting from Dominion Voting Systems?

Elections are administered by certified elections officials and trained election inspectors with the assistance of modernized technology. While the state relies on technology to aid the process, technology does not run the process. Following the November 2020 election, Internet mis/disinformation campaigns accused Dominion Voting Systems tabulators of “switching” or “fractioning” votes. These accusations do not align with the facts as to how the state programs, tests, or utilizes the equipment, and the claims have repeatedly been proven false by state recounts, the canvass, audits, and hand-tallies.

What kind of election audits exist in Michigan to ensure the accuracy of the vote count?

Post-election audits are important for the transparency of elections, and for local clerks to review past practices and identify opportunities for future improvement. Michigan conducts three types of post-election audits: procedural audits, risk-limiting audits, and absentee counting board audits. A bipartisan county or state board canvasses primaries and elections by reviewing the procedures used to carry out the election as well as unofficial results, and correcting any clerical errors in the unofficial results.

Where can I go for more information on Michigan election law, processes and safeguards?

For more election-related information, visit www.Michigan.gov/Vote.

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