Michigan Democrats Face Audit Demands Over Convention Voting Errors

Michigan State Senator Sylvia Santana filed a 53-page appeal demanding an independent audit of the Michigan Democratic Party spring endorsement convention held on April 19, 2026, in Detroit. Santana alleges material errors in the voting process for a Michigan State University Board of Trustees race, citing evidence that over 200 votes were cast remotely via the Election Buddy mobile app despite rules requiring in-person voting. She further claims 302 voters present at the event were not on the master voter list.

Attorney General Dana Nessel and Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald supported the call for an audit. Nessel reported that the app incorrectly attributed her own votes and congressional district, while Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum noted that some vote IP addresses appeared to originate from Houston, Texas, and Montenegro. Nessel emphasized that these failures occurred within a third-party application and do not reflect the security of Michigan's official state-run election system.

The Michigan Democratic Party stated that its Appeals Committee will review all submissions and ensure a fair, independent process. Meanwhile, the Michigan Republican Party criticized the situation, characterizing the irregularities as a failure of election integrity within the Democratic Party.