ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Questions about election security, voter eligibility, and absentee ballots took center stage at a town hall attended by U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell and state election officials ahead of the general election.
The event came after federal monitors were sent to Detroit, Hamtramck, Lansing and East Lansing during this month’s primary.
There have been no reports of widespread fraud.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for an FBI investigation into Michigan election officials and voter registration forms.
The concerns raised at the town hall focused largely on how the state verifies voter eligibility and protects people at the polls.
Dingell was joined by state lawmakers representing eastern Washtenaw County, Michigan Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie and Washtenaw County Clerk Larry Kestenbaum.
Some questions from residents grew heated as panelists discussed safeguards designed to prevent non-citizens and other ineligible people from voting.
Last week Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced charges against five non-citizens alleged to have voted in the 2024 November general election, and one U.S. citizen alleged to have registered their non-citizen spouse to vote.
“We do regular audits of that process throughout the year, and after the election, of course, we do another audit to make sure that ineligible people are not registered to vote,” Edevbie said. “So it’s a very detailed process to make sure that people don’t make it through.”
Voter intimidation was another concern raised by residents.
Edevbie said the Secretary of State’s office is working with clerks across Michigan to help ensure voters can safely cast their ballots at the polls.
“I can tell you it’s the number one thing on my desk that we are working with all our clerks across the state to ensure that people can go and safely cast their ballot on Election Day, during the early voting period, or via absentee ballot,” Edevbie said.
“If an incident occurs, the clerks are working with volunteers at all the poll sites to immediately call law enforcement,” Dingell said.
Dingell also urged voters who cast absentee ballots to submit them early and confirm that their local clerk’s office received them.
Dingell said she learned from a whistleblower that five mail routes in Ann Arbor were not staffed on Aug. 1, before the primary. Dingell has reached out to the U.S Postal Service and expressed concern about potential mail service problems ahead of the general election.
“I’ve sent a letter to the postmaster, but we know that there were five mail routes that were not staffed on Aug. 1,” Dingell said. “It’s something we worry about in November as well.”
Voters can track the status of an absentee ballot and sign up for email notifications through the Michigan Voter Information Center at Michigan.gov/Vote.
“I am encouraging people to vote early and make sure the clerk has gotten it,” Dingell said.
The Secretary of State’s office is also seeking additional poll workers ahead of Election Day. Information about signing up is available at Michigan.gov/SOS.