May 24, 22

NEWS / Record number of fraudulent signatures reported by Michigan Bureau of Elections

The Michigan Bureau of Election is reporting an estimated a record 68,000 fraudulent signatures across 10 different electoral campaigns, including several gubernatorial campaigns. The fraudulent signatures appeared on a number of petitions, with the Bureau of Elections pointing the blame at certain unsavory petition circulators eager to please their bosses. At the same time, the report found no evidence of the candidate or campaigns knowing or condoning these questionable practices. Instances of fraud include different petitions with the exact same signatures (including the order of the signatures), signatures from individuals who are currently non-residents or deceased, petition sheets with all signature lines completed, petition sheets without normal signs of wear and tear, petition sheets with misspelled names, petition sheets completed with the exact same handwriting, and “round-tabled” petition sheets, in which signatures are forged by a group of individuals that sign the sheet one after the other. The findings of the Bureau could invalidate a number of campaigns, including those for governor. The Bureau is recommending the Board of State Canvassers to remove Republican candidates James Craig, Perry Johnson, Michael Markey, Michael Brown, and Donna Brandenburg from the ballot. Those candidates are vying to unseat incumbent Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer. James Craig was at one point the frontrunner of the GOP primary. Millionaire Perry Johnson expressed doubt in the fairness of the petition review process. “Michigan’s petition process is fatally flawed because it easily allows criminals to victimize candidates for public office and their thousands of supporters who legitimately sign petitions,” Johnson was quoted by WLNS as stating, “We must bring quality to the petition process by allowing campaigns a mechanism to compare signatures that are gathered by circulators with signatures on the Qualified Voter File to ensure their legitimacy.” The disqualification of the candidates would mean that there would be only five Republican candidates running for Governor—Garrett Soldano, Kevin Rinke, Tudor Dixon, Ryan Kelley, and Ralph Rebandt.