Republican poll worker disparity in Detroit.
By MFE volunteer writer | August 18, 2024
In the recent August primary election in Detroit, a significant imbalance in the political affiliation of election workers has raised concerns about the fairness and integrity of the voting process. Pure Integrity Michigan Elections and the Michigan Conservative Coalition recently highlighted this issue, revealing that Detroit election officials hired an overwhelming number of Democrat inspectors compared to Republicans.
All told, 2,340 Democrat election inspectors were employed as compared to only 302 Republicans, creating an 8-to-1 disparity. This stark difference has sparked a debate over whether the city's election process is adhering to laws that mandate equal representation of both major political parties among poll workers.
Importance of Poll Worker Parity
Election inspectors, also called poll workers, play a crucial role in ensuring that elections are conducted in a fair and transparent manner. These workers manage ballots, assist voters, and participate in the overall voting process.
“Their presence allows them to monitor elections firsthand and be sure that everything runs smoothly and according to the law,” said Patrice Johnson, founder and chair of Pure Integrity Michigan Elections (PIME) and a long time advocate for equal representation among poll workers.
As importantly, poll workers are also in a prime position to identify and report any irregularities or issues that may arise during the voting process. Given the critical role they play, many states, including Michigan, have laws requiring a balanced mix of election workers from both major political parties.
In Michigan, the law states that election clerks must “appoint an equal number, as nearly as possible, of election inspectors in each election precinct from each major political party.” ( MCL - Section 168.674). The intent of the law is to ensure that both parties have an equal presence in the polling stations in order to maintain a healthy system of checks and balances. Nowhere is this self-correcting system more important than in Wayne County, home to Detroit and the most populous county in Michigan. Wayne county’s 1.4 million registered voters represent 17 percent of the state’s entire voter population of 8.4 million.
Any imbalance in Detroit’s number of election workers stands to have significant implications for the outcome of state and national elections. Here, the Democrat vote is traditionally strong and can influence the overall outcome of state elections.
Detroit's Election Worker Imbalance
Despite the legal requirements for parity, records obtained by Pure Integrity Michigan Elections (PIME) and the Michigan Conservative Coalition (MCC) indicate a severe imbalance in the political affiliation of poll workers hired for Detroit's August 6 primary. Out of 2,827 total poll workers, only about 10 percent were Republicans, falling far short of the nearly equal representation mandated by law.
To make matters worse, further investigation into the political affiliations of the so-called “Republican” poll workers reveals that many of these workers were likely not actual Republicans. Of the 143 individuals identified as Republican poll workers, 131 had histories of voting in Democrat primaries, raising questions about their political leanings.
This imbalance is not new. Statistics from previous elections show a consistent pattern of underrepresentation of Republican poll workers in Detroit. In the 2020 general election, only 3 percent of the poll workers in Detroit were Republicans. Similar disparities were observed in the 2022 primary and general elections. These numbers highlight a long-standing issue in the city's hiring practices for election workers.
Challenges in Recruiting Republican Poll Workers
One might argue that Detroit, a predominantly Democrat city, naturally has more Democrat poll workers. But poll workers do not need to reside in or near Detroit. As a mechanism to ensure a balanced representation, each year by May 15 county chairs of major political parties are allowed to submit a list of individuals interested in serving as election inspectors.
Despite this, the Republican Party’s efforts to ensure fair representation in Detroit have largely gone ignored. In May 2024, the Republican Party provided a list of 676 Republican election worker candidates to the City of Detroit, about two-thirds short of the number required to achieve parity. Of the GOP-suggested individuals, only 52 were hired, according to a list that the City of Detroit provided.
“Our constitution was founded on the concept that checks and balances are the best way to ensure fairness,” Johnson said. “When your numbers are out-of-kilter and you don’t have a fair balance, the check-and-balance system breaks down.”
She emphasized that fixing the current disparity in Detroit and other metropolitan areas in the state is crucial for maintaining public trust in elections and the electoral process.
In 2022, the City of Flint had a similar imbalance as occurred in Detroit. PIME filed a demand letter warning of potential litigation, and the next day the clerk of 20 years resigned. Then the Republican National Committee sued the City of Flint.
Legal and Political Implications
Gates McGavick, a senior advisor to the Republican National Committee, indicated that the party is actively working to address the disparity in Detroit's election workers. “We are very aware of the poll worker parity issue in Detroit and gathering necessary information as we weigh our legal options to remedy the situation,” McGavick told The Federalist.
The party has taken legal action in other states including Arizona and Nevada where similar issues arose.
“The situation in Detroit is particularly concerning given the city's size and role in processing a large number of ballots,” said Marian Sheridan, Michigan Republican Party Grassroots Vice Chair and spokesperson for the Michigan Conservative Coalition.
The Need for Urgent Action
The imbalance in Detroit's election worker hiring practices is not just a political issue. It is also a matter of upholding the integrity of the democratic process. Equal representation of both major political parties among poll workers is essential to ensuring that elections are fair and transparent.
If the issue goes unaddressed, future elections in Detroit and throughout the state could be called into question, further eroding public confidence in the underpinnings of the constitutional republic. According to an NBC News poll, one third of all Americans already believe the 2020 election results were fraudulent.
“Detroit election officials need to take immediate steps to rectify the imbalance and ensure that future elections are conducted according to the law,” Sheridan said.
In conclusion, the recent revelations about the disparity in election worker hiring in Detroit's August primary are deeply troubling. The significant underrepresentation of Republican poll workers violates Michigan law. Worse, it undermines the integrity of the electoral process. Steps must be taken to ensure that future elections in Detroit have a fair and equal representation of both major political parties among poll workers. Only then can the city and this state truly uphold the principles of democracy and ensure that every eligible vote is counted one time.
What you can do
Sign up to become an election inspector in the upcoming election. Contact your township or municipal clerk and fill out an application today. |
