DETROIT — All Voting is Local Michigan, Michigan League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, Michigan Voices, and ACLU of Michigan released the following joint statement in response to Michigan Auditor General Doug Ringler’s review of the results of the 2020 general election:
“The Auditor General’s review confirms what we already knew: the 2020 general election was fair and accurate. This review is the latest in hundreds of audits confirming the 2020 general election results in the state of Michigan. The Auditor General also noted where some improvements need to be made, and the Bureau of Elections stated it is working diligently to do so. The time has long since passed for Big Lie proponents to move on.
“The continued push by some for sham ballot reviews ignores the successes of the 2020 general election, including the increase in absentee voting, the thousands of Michiganders who signed up to be poll workers, and the administration of an election in the midst of a pandemic by local election clerks.
“Our elected officials should focus on building on these successes, including implementing pre-processing of absentee ballots as recommended by the Auditor General. They should also be making sure we have an economy that is fair, repairing our roads and water infrastructure, and creating an education system that works for all children. Doing otherwise would waste taxpayer dollars in a deliberate effort to sabotage future elections and ignore the real needs of the people of Michigan.”
Background:
Michigan Auditor General Doug Ringler today released the results of his review of the state’s Bureau of Elections and the 2020 general election. Overall, the Auditor General found that the Bureau of Election’s performance was effective, sufficient, or sufficient with exceptions in all areas that were reviewed. This represents an improvement over the previous audit, which reviewed its operations starting in 2016 and found one area to be only moderately effective. Auditors General in Michigan are appointed solely by the legislature to serve an eight-year term. Ringler was appointed on June 9, 2014.