By Kristine Christlieb, MFEI News & Commentary Editor

September 17, 2025

Alternate Elector Aftermath – One Elector Dies; Nessel Calls Herself Righteous

On September 9, Ingham County District Judge Kristen Simmons dismissed all of Attorney General Dana Nessel’s felony charges against the 15 Michigan alternate electors from the 2020 election.

In a statement to the press following the judge’s decision, Nessel spoke for more than 13 minutes, calling out, by name, each of the 15 electors. She concluded her remarks by claiming, “When I complete my time in this office, I will forever believe that issuing these charges and filing these cases was the righteous, proper, appropriate, and legally compelled thing to do by my role as state attorney general. And I feel certain that history will vindicate that decision.”

Meanwhile, John Haggard, 84, of Charlevoix, one of the 15 electors charged, lay suffering with lingering heart problems. Bridge Michigan reports he died of a stroke within hours of learning the charges against him had been dismissed.

Outside the court room, following the judge’s decision, Marian Sheridan, another of the electors charged, was asked how she felt, “I’m relieved, of course, but I’m also mad that something like this can happen in America.”

As the alternate electors and their lawyers celebrated their victory, there was also talk of pursuing a malicious prosecution case. Sources tell MFEI News & Commentary that scenario is unlikely because of special protections for government officials.

Nessel has not ruled out appealing Simmons’ decision.

USPS’ New Rules for Mail-In Ballots

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is proposing a new rule affecting mail-in ballots. If USPS has its way, post mark dates will no longer indicate the day on which a mail piece was turned over for mailing. Instead, the post mark date will indicate a date on which the post office had a mail piece in its possession, and that date may or may not be the date it was turned in for mailing.

This new rule will pose a serious problem for the 19 states and the District of Columbia that rely on the post mark to confirm a ballot was mailed by Election Day.

 According to Election Integrity Network expert Ned Jones, “A ballot mailed by a voter on or before Election Day could be postmarked after Election Day, potentially disqualifying it in states that rely on the postmark to verify timely mailing. This shift places the burden on voters to ensure their ballot is counted by taking extra steps, such as handing the ballot to a USPS retail clerk for a manual postmark or paying for a Certificate of Mailing, Registered Mail, or Certified Mail to prove the mailing date.”

Safeguarding the Republic: Constitution Day and Election Integrity - September 17, 2025