Election integrity concerns have resurfaced in Michigan after the Michigan Bureau of Elections (BOE), under the direction of the state’s Democratic Secretary of State, made a sudden and controversial change to its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) disclosure policy. The BOE has restricted access to crucial absentee ballot data, a move that election integrity groups say will undermine transparency and accountability in the upcoming 2024 elections.
On Tuesday, the BOE informed organizations that typically monitor absentee voter data, such as CheckMyVote.org and Michigan Fair Elections, that key data points critical for election monitoring and audits would no longer be available under FOIA requests. These data fields include information about absentee ballot applications sent and received, as well as data on ballots returned by voters. Critics argue that the change eliminates essential transparency, further complicating the ability to verify the integrity of the voting process according to Pure Integrity Michigan Elections.
Election integrity groups, especially in a critical swing state like Michigan, have expressed their alarm, questioning the motivation behind the sudden decision. “I don’t see the reasoning behind these changes. The BOE cites voter privacy as the reason, but the date the application is sent and returned has nothing to