Judge denies Michigan GOP SOS candidate's request to disqualify Detroit mail-in ballots

A judge rejects a request from Michigan’s Republican secretary of state Kristina Karamo to disqualify Detroit’s mail-in ballots in the Nov. 8 election.

Just a few weeks before general election in Michigan, candidate Karamo filed a lawsuit seeking to disqualify mail-in ballots in the city of Detroit alone and to require Detroit voters to vote in person on Nov. 8. The Republican’s lawsuit claimed Detroit’s mail-in ballot counting system is flawed and violates election law.

A Wayne County judge on Monday dismissed Karamo’s lawsuit, saying the lawsuit had “failed spectacularly” and that Karamo’s claims were “unsubstantiated and/or misconstrued Michigan election law.”

“The plaintiffs have raised a false flag of election law violations and corruption regarding Detroit’s proceedings for the Nov. 8 election. The decision of this Court removes this flag,” a Wayne County Circuit Court decision read Monday.

“The plaintiffs’ failure to produce evidence that the procedures for this November 8 election violate federal or state election law demonizes the Detroit Clerk, her office staff and the 1,200 volunteers working this election. These allegations are unjustified, devoid of any evidentiary basis and cannot be upheld. »

Karamo’s lawsuit sought to disqualify all absentee ballots for the general election that were submitted by mail or through a drop box by Detroit voters. Tens of thousands of voters in Detroit have requested mail-in ballots for the Nov. 8 election — a region that votes largely Democratic.

Karamo herself is among a number of Republican politicians who have pushed former President Donald Trump’s “big lie” that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him, casting doubt in electoral processes at nationally and state by state. Absentee voting has been a particular victim of this GOP rhetoric, as it has become a more popular way to vote, especially among Democratic voters.

Numerous audits and experts, including Trump’s own attorney general, have found that there was no widespread fraud in the 2020 election.

Michigan’s outgoing Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson previously said Karamo’s trial ahead of the midterm elections was “blatant” and “based on nothing but lies.”

“Plaintiffs have repeatedly asserted that the City of Detroit Clerk’s procedures for the November 8, 2022 election violate Michigan election laws and reflect corruption in our state’s largest city. While it is easy to make accusations and violations of the law and corruption, it is another matter to come forward and produce the evidence that our Constitution and our laws require,” reads the decision of the court. “The plaintiffs failed, in an all-day hearing, to produce any evidence. No exhibits, no testimony from any of the plaintiffs, no evidence from Mr. Thomas or Mr. Thomas or Mr. Baxter indicate that the procedures for the November 8, 2022 election do not violate Michigan election laws.

You can read the full November 7 court ruling below.

Below is a statement on the Detroit NAACP lawsuit:

“Today, Third Court in Wayne County, Michigan dismissed the absurd and frivolous lawsuit brought by Republican candidate to Michigan Secretary of State Kristina Karamo, Philip O’Halloran and The court ruled that “a delay would impact approximately 60,000 absentee ballots that were returned to the City of Detroit Clerk’s Office at the time of the November 3, 2022 injunction hearing. The harm to the City of Detroit and by extension voters who submitted mail-in ballots is enormous Tens of thousands of City of Detroit voters would be disenfranchised unless the cowards doctrine be enforced in this eleventh-hour challenge. The plaintiffs sat idly by for months before filing a complaint. Basically, this is unacceptable and cannot be allowed.

Thank goodness there is still some common sense in an America that seems to have been turned upside down. This nonsense promoted by the Karamo camp was intended to delay, intimidate and prevent Michigan’s largest city from legally voting for the candidates of their choice. This delay, deny and suppress strategy is being used nationwide as we are witnessing:

· Armed vigilantes patrolling drop boxes to intimidate voters.

· Over 400 voter suppression bills to prevent voting by minorities, women, seniors and students.

· Redistricting of various congressional districts to make it more difficult for African American voters to be represented.

· Using a fake election police unit to arrest people who have been told they have the right to vote and who may be ex-offenders.

· Threats against election officials, state secretaries and volunteers to prevent them from counting votes.

America must be better than that. This should serve as an incentive to vote rather than accepting any intimidation to prevent your vote. We knew from day one that this trial was simply a problem-solving exercise. The court did not fall for this kind of flim-flam. Those who filed this legal frivolity should be punished. Wayne County taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for their political game. When we think of this political debacle, the words of the late Marvin Gaye begin to dance in our heads: “It makes me want to scream and put both hands up. Many of us simply receive a case of Inner City Blues. On Tuesday, November 8, don’t give up. Use your hands when you bring your soles to the polls and vote like your life depends on it, because quite frankly it does.

Reverend Dr Wendell Anthony, November 7, 2022

Judge denies Michigan GOP SOS candidate’s request to disqualify Detroit mail-in ballots

Related

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply