Following the Election Denier Playbook, Trump and his allies are already rejecting the election results before a single vote has been counted. In Michigan, they are trying to discredit voting systems in order to make it harder for people to vote – and essentially, to pick their own voters. Trump Republicans are discrediting election officials in order to lay the groundwork to question election results if they lose. Finally, these election deniers are calling on their MAGA constituents to harass election workers, spread conspiracies about voting irregularities, and even commit violence to protect the election outcome they want.
Step 1: Refuse to Commit to Accepting Election Results Based on False Allegations of Voting Irregularities, Fraud, and Wild Conspiracy Theories.
In November 2020, Trump claimed without evidence that the ballot counting process in Detroit was a “giant scam.” In September of 2022 nearly two years later, the Macomb County Republican Party filed yet another lawsuit still seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 election. And now Trump and his allies are looking to convince MAGA Republicans that any Democratic election victories in Michigan are illegitimate or fraudulent by default.
Conspiracy theorist Tudor Dixon, has not only spouted conspiracy theories about Democrats seeking to “topple” the United States as revenge for losing the Civil War, she has repeatedly said that she does not trust the elections process in Michigan and she has pointedly refused to rule out filing lawsuits or other attempts to overturn the election.
Step 2: Make False Claims About Election Security And Demand Changes That Limit Ballot Access.
Trump-aligned figures are relentlessly targeting claiming without evidence that the process is ripe for fraud. Kristina Karamo, the far right Election Integrity Fund, and Force, two poll challengers, a poll watcher, a poll worker and a voter filed a lawsuit last week asking a judge to require residents of Detroit to vote in person or obtain their ballots in person at the clerk’s office, seeking to throw out thousands of votes that have already been cast by mail. The group even tried to disqualify every judge in Wayne County from even hearing the case.
By targeting absentee ballots, election deniers are pushing changes to the election system that would make it more difficult to vote in Michigan. MAGA Republicans, led by former gubernatorial candidate and indicted January 6 participant Ryan Kelley, are also attacking the Promote the Vote initiative, a ballot amendment that would expand access by amending the constitution to establish early voting in the state, require state-funded drop boxes in every municipality, and require prepaid postage for absentee ballot applications and ballot envelopes.
Step 3: Discredit Election Officials And Create Chaos, Especially in Areas of High Voter Turnout for Your Opponent.
Trump Republicans are working to delegitimize election processes throughout Michigan, particularly in areas with high turnout against their candidates. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson recently warned of possible “violence and disruption” on Election Day and beyond, while Republicans claim that the secretary of state and other Democrats are trying to “suppress” Republican poll watchers from doing their jobs. MAGA activists have trained hundreds of poll watchers in Michigan, including encouraging their trainees to break the rules and create chaos at the polls.
As part of the campaign to discredit elections and sow doubt in the process, former Republican gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley encouraged poll workers to unplug election equipment if they suspect something suspicious is going on, and just weeks ago, trainees were told by Patrick Colbeck, a former Republican state senator, that poll challengers can demand tabulator tapes after polls close.
Step 4: Train Supporters To Become Election Officials and Call on Supporters to Harass Voters and Threaten Election Officials with Violence.
MAGA Republicans are fueling a wave of harassment and threats of violence directed at poll workers and officials in the weeks ahead of the midterms. Election workers and voters are facing threats from right-wing vigilantes who are calling for drop box observers and poll challengers to fan out across Michigan. Violent rhetoric and imagery have increased, with one recent advertisement for a “Seal Team 6 Poll Challenger Training” sponsored by the Lakes Area Tea Party featuring a photo of men carrying guns and wearing camouflage. The Michigan Republican Party and RNC successfully sued to overturn some limits on the activities of poll observers and confrontations over photographing and filming of poll workers and ballots are now expected.
Simultaneously, Trump and his allies are urging election deniers to inundate county elections offices with records requests. Michigan’s Bureau of Elections has spent over 600 hours processing records requests this year, which is triple the time it has spent on them in the past, placing strain on election workers who are working to prepare ballots and precincts for Election Day
Step 5: Reject the Results and Spread Lies About Election Fraud After the Election.
For months, Trump and MAGA Republicans in Michigan have been laying the groundwork to declare that unfavorable election results are supposedly rigged. They are already refusing to accept the results, spreading lies about election security, discrediting Michigan election officials, and calling on their supporters to harass election administrators with threats of violence. As we draw closer to Election Day, Trump and his allies will only continue working to undermine the will of American voters.
