The Republican National Committee and Michigan GOP are suing Lansing election officials, claiming the city has a nearly 2-to-1 ratio of Democratic poll workers compared to Republicans.
Election officials are legally required to strive for an evenly balanced number of poll workers. Applicants self-identify their preference of political party and can be disqualified if they have a history advocating for the other party.
But Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum says the lawsuit is laying the groundwork to again call into question the integrity of elections.
“The GOP has a very bad track record when it comes to winning lawsuits. They make a whole lot of claims, cause a whole lot of talk and a whole lot of speculation, but when the courts decide, when the public actually looks into the issues, they have found that our elections are safe, secure and accurate.”
Byrum says the lawsuit has prompted some residents to show up at local clerks’ offices to inquire about how balanced the local poll workers are.
She says it is taking attention away from preparing voting sites and running public accuracy testing.
