Michigan Secretary of State Refutes Noncitizen Voter Claims

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson challenged allegations from Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini regarding noncitizens on the state's voting rolls. Forlini, a Republican running for secretary of state, claimed his office identified 15 registered voters who had recused themselves from jury duty based on noncitizenship, asserting that some had voted.

A subsequent review by the Michigan Bureau of Elections found the claims were largely inaccurate. Of the 15 individuals flagged, three were confirmed U.S. citizens, four registrations had already been canceled, and four were still undergoing verification. Only four individuals appeared to be noncitizens, one of whom had not voted since 2018.

Benson criticized the accusations as reckless and questioned Forlini's motivations, noting he had shared the findings with the U.S. Department of Justice during a lawsuit over voter roll access. Forlini defended his actions, arguing that the current system allows noncitizens into jury pools and voter files. He called for more stringent citizenship verification during driver's license applications to prevent such occurrences.