Republicans sue Michigan governor over voter registration sites

July 15 (UPI) – Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was sued by Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and the Republican National Committee for allowing the use of federal Veterans Affairs and Small Business Administration sites for voter registration.

Republicans accuse Whitmer and Democrat Jocelyn Benson, Michigan’s secretary of state, of exceeding their authority when they made agreements to use the VA and SBA offices as “voter registration agencies” (VRAs), according to a lawsuit filed Monday in federal court in Michigan.

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“Under Michigan law, the authority to make such designations rests solely with the Legislature,” the filing states.

Other defendants include Michigan Election Commissioner Jonathan Brater, the SBA, VA and their directors.

Michigan is a swing state in the presidential election. Trump won in 2016 and President Joe Biden won in 2020.

“The RNC and its members are concerned that Defendants’ failure to comply with Michigan state law to designate as a VRA undermines election integrity by increasing the opportunity for individuals to register to vote when they are not eligible to do so and by creating confusion about whether the agencies purporting to offer voter registration assistance are doing so in accordance with applicable law,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit also alleges that “the continued unlawful activity of the SBA and the VA as VRAs has caused economic, financial, and political harm to plaintiffs, including by forcing them to provide additional funds and misallocate their scarce resources in ways they otherwise would not have done.”

According to the lawsuit, the National Voter Registration Act gives the legislature, not the governor’s office, the authority to appoint voter registration authorities.

Whitmer did not respond to media requests for comment.

Angela Benander, communications director in Benson’s office as secretary of state, said in a statement to the Detroit Press: “It is unfortunate that this divisive, partisan lawsuit was filed today. Easier voter registration for veterans and small business owners in Michigan should not be controversial.”

“We will review this and any other litigation we come across, but we remain committed to ensuring that every Michigan voter has the tools and resources they need to participate in every election.”

Last year, her office announced that three VA offices would serve as pilot sites for a new voter registration partnership. In March, her office also announced a voter registration agreement with the SBA.

“I am proud to announce this historic partnership today between the State of Michigan and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure we expand opportunities for all veterans and their families to play an active role in our democracy,” Benson said in September. “This partnership will break down many barriers that prevent veterans from participating in our democratic process and will provide them with the information and tools they need to fully exercise their right to vote in every election.”

In March, the RNC sued Benson in federal court to force election officials to reduce the state’s voter rolls.

“At least 53 counties in Michigan have more active registered voters than adult citizens over the age of 18. This number of voters is impossibly high,” the lawsuit states. “An additional 23 counties have an active voter registration rate of over 90 percent of adult citizens over the age of 18. This number far exceeds the national and statewide voter registration rate in recent elections.”

Benson said more than 700,000 voters have been removed from the electoral rolls since she took office in 2019, and another half a million will be removed if they do not vote in this year’s general election.