The Republican National Committee (RNC) has filed a lawsuit against Detroit, alleging a severe imbalance in the appointment of Republican and Democratic election inspectors, potentially jeopardizing the integrity of the upcoming presidential election.
At a Glance
- RNC sues Detroit for failing to hire enough Republican poll workers, violating Michigan law
- Detroit appointed 310 Republican and 2,337 Democratic election inspectors for the August primary
- 202 out of 335 precincts had no Republican election inspector
- RNC demands equal representation by October 15, ahead of the November 5 election
Lawsuit Highlights Stark Imbalance in Election Inspector Appointments
The Republican National Committee has taken legal action against Detroit city officials, alleging a significant disparity in the appointment of election inspectors that heavily favors Democrats. According to the lawsuit, Detroit appointed 310 Republican and 2,337 Democratic election inspectors for the August 6 primary election, creating a ratio of 7.5 Democrats to every 1 Republican.
This imbalance is not just a matter of numbers. The lawsuit points out that 300 out of 335 precincts did not comply with Michigan’s legal requirement for an equal number of inspectors from each major party. Even more concerning, 202 precincts had no Republican election inspector at all. The RNC argues that this situation undermines the fairness and transparency of the electoral process.
GOP grossly outnumbered among Detroit poll watchers, 7 to 1: lawsuit | New York Post https://t.co/3xOBUyg3I6
— RNC Election Integrity (@RNCVoteProtect) August 24, 2024
Legal Basis and RNC’s Demands
The lawsuit cites Michigan Election Law, which mandates that election officials “shall appoint at least one election inspector from each major political party and shall appoint an equal number, as nearly as possible, of election inspectors in each election precinct from each major political party.” The RNC contends that Detroit’s current appointments grossly violate this requirement.
“Accordingly, the ratio of Democrats to Republicans – 7.5 to 1 – appointed as election inspectors by the City of Detroit Election Commission in the aggregate is not ‘an equal number, as nearly as possible,’ as required by Section 674(2) of the Election Law,” the lawsuit states.
To address this issue, the RNC is demanding that Detroit appoint more Republican election inspectors to correct the imbalance before the November election. Specifically, they are calling for the commission to appoint an equal number of workers by October 15, ahead of the November 5 election.
RNC Leadership Responds
RNC Chairman Michael Whatley and RNC Co-Chair Lara Trump issued a joint statement emphasizing the importance of this legal action:
“Detroit’s failure to hire Republican poll workers is the kind of bad-faith Democrat interference that drives down faith in elections. The RNC is bringing suit to remedy this completely unacceptable breach of public trust and our unprecedented election integrity campaign will continue to fight in Michigan and nationwide to protect the rights of every voter to have fair, accurate, secure and transparent elections.”
This lawsuit is part of a broader effort by the RNC to ensure election integrity across the country. The organization is currently involved in over 100 lawsuits as part of its election integrity program, demonstrating its commitment to securing fair and transparent elections for all Americans.
