LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson asked the state’s attorney general and state police Thursday to investigate reports her office has received that an unnamed third party was allowed to access vote tabulator components and technology in Roscommon County.
Unauthorized access to machines is a breach of election security protocols and may have exposed the machines to vulnerabilities that render them unusable in future elections, Benson said in a news release.
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At least one unnamed third party allegedly gained inappropriate access to tabulation machines and data drives used in Richfield Township and Roscommon County, which could require the equipment to be replaced at taxpayer expense, Benson said. Contracts with voting system vendors and state law restrict access to voting equipment to qualified personnel.
“Michigan law is clear about the security threats that emerge when anyone gains unauthorized access to our election machines or technology, and I will have no tolerance for those who seek to illegally tamper with our voting equipment,” Benson said.
An Associated Press review of every potential case of voter fraud in six battleground states that were disputed by former President Donald Trump found fewer than 475 — a number that would have made no difference in the 2020 presidential election.
Democrat Joe Biden won Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and their 79 Electoral College votes by a combined 311,257 votes out of 25.5 million ballots cast for president. The disputed ballots represent just 0.15% of his victory margin in those states.