ELECTION DOUBLETALK

Ruth Johnson

As Secretary of State, Ruth Johnson (R-Holly) pushed a very recalcitrant GOP-controlled state Senate and House of Representatives to permit no-reason absentee ballot voting. They said, ‘no thanks,’ so as we all know, a much more expansive proposal went before voters in 2018, and voters said, ‘Oh yes!’ by a wide margin. Lo and behold, Johnson, now a state Senator elected in 2018, has reversed tack. During a state Senate hearing on June 24, Johnson attacked Michigan’s vote by mail system – after stating on her Senate website on May 19, “I supported secure, no-reason absentee voting as secretary of state, and I think absentee voting can be a really good option for people – especially with the coronavirus pandemic. Michigan voters can already request and complete an application, receive an absentee ballot, and mail in their absentee ballot – all without ever leaving their homes.” Her issue, she went on to say, was with Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, her Democratic successor, mailing out applications for absentee ballots to all 7.7 million registered voters in the state. “Local clerks are the ones who have always handled these requests, not the secretary of state… The secretary mailing an application to every voter is an unnecessary expense that will cost millions of dollars… There are also integrity concerns with these mailings.” Are there only integrity concerns when Democrats mail them?