Election Experts Dispute GOP Claims About Michigan Secretary of State’s Role
Former Michigan election officials call GOP claims about Secretary Jocelyn Benson’s dual role misleading, saying candidates misunderstand how the state’s decentralized system works.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN — Former election officials and voting advocates are challenging claims by Michigan Republican candidates that Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson cannot fairly oversee the 2026 election while running for governor as a Democrat.
Multiple GOP gubernatorial candidates and current officeholders have questioned Benson’s ability to serve as the state’s chief elections officer during her own campaign. However, election experts say these assertions misrepresent how Michigan’s election system actually operates.
Decentralized System Limits Secretary’s Direct Role
“If you really understand the way elections work in Michigan, you wouldn’t say that Jocelyn Benson or any secretary of state actually administers our elections,” said Erica Peresman, a senior advisor for Promote The Vote Michigan. She noted that Michigan has one of the most decentralized election systems in the country, where municipal clerks handle the majority of actual election administration.
“The only ballot that Jocelyn Benson would actually touch during this election or any other election is her own ballot,” Peresman added.
Chris Thomas, Michigan’s longtime director of elections who served from 1981 to 2017, called the Republican insinuations “gratuitous political shopping for a headline” and deceptive to voters who might not understand the complexities of election administration in Michigan.
Civil Service Leadership Structure
Thomas explained that the Michigan Bureau of Elections, which serves as the administrative arm of the Department of State, is run by the Director of Elections, a civil service employee rather than a political appointee or at-will employee of the secretary of state.
This structure provides additional separation between political campaigns and election administration, according to the former elections director.
Department Responds to Critics
“Either these candidates for governor haven’t bothered to take a few minutes to read and understand Michigan Election Law or they know they’re spreading lies about the process,” wrote Angela Benander, spokesperson for the Department of State, to the Michigan Advance.
The Department of State is preparing additional measures to address concerns about the upcoming election, though specific details were not provided in the available information.
Benson, who has served as Michigan’s Secretary of State since 2019, announced her gubernatorial campaign earlier this year. Her Republican critics include both declared gubernatorial candidates and current elected officials who have questioned whether she can maintain neutrality while overseeing election processes.
The debate reflects broader national conversations about election administration and potential conflicts of interest when election officials run for higher office while managing election systems.
