Thank you for raising this matter. Election integrity is a legitimate and important concern that deserves careful scrutiny rather than unsubstantiated accusations.
The recent allegation referenced—originating from Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf regarding a confidential informant and the Michigan Department of State’s CARS system—has been referred to the U.S.
Department of Justice for review. As of the latest available information, this specific claim of deliberate automatic registration of non-citizens has not been independently verified through official investigation.
Michigan law and the state’s technical systems are structured to prevent precisely this outcome. Automatic voter registration applies only to individuals who provide documentation demonstrating U.S. citizenship when conducting driver’s license or state ID transactions. The system is designed to block registration for applicants submitting non-citizen documents, and staff cannot override these controls.
Non-citizens who are legally present may obtain licenses or identification cards after establishing legal presence, but they are not automatically added to the voter rolls.
Isolated instances of non-citizen registration or voting have been identified over time. These cases are investigated by the Michigan Bureau of Elections and referred to the Attorney General. Recent charges announced against several individuals alleged to have voted improperly in 2024 demonstrate that detection and enforcement mechanisms are functioning. Official reviews continue to characterize such occurrences as extremely rare relative to the total volume of ballots cast.
Characterizing Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson as a “legit criminal” on the basis of an unverified whistleblower claim exceeds the evidence currently available. Responsible discussion of voter-roll maintenance requires distinguishing between verified findings, ongoing investigations, and unproven assertions. Any substantiated evidence of systemic failure should, of course, be thoroughly examined through proper legal channels.
I welcome continued attention to accurate list maintenance and citizenship verification, provided it proceeds on the basis of verified facts rather than premature conclusions.