Michigan Fair Elections Institute Publishes 720-Page Investigative Report on 2020 Election Administration and Its Continuing Effects
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
"Michigan Election Issues 2020 and Ripple Effects” documents fifteen findings spanning voter roll maintenance, ballot chain of custody, and election oversight. Recommends federal and state investigative action.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
CONTACT:
Melanie Nivelt
Media Relations Liaison
Michigan Fair Elections
248.425.8896
STOCKBRIDGE, Mich. — September 1, 2026 — Michigan Fair Elections Institute (MFEI), a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) election-integrity research organization, is announcing the publication of Michigan Election Issues 2020 and Ripple Effects, a 720-page report examining the administration of Michigan’s November 3, 2020, General Election and related developments through the 2026 election cycle.
The report is organized into fifteen counts, each addressing a distinct category of alleged legal violation, structural deficiency, or documented irregularity in Michigan election administration.
The report was compiled by MFEI Chair and Founder Patrice Johnson, with contributions from MFEI’s volunteer research, audit, and editorial teams. It grounds its findings in primary sources, including statutes, court rulings, sworn testimony, official records, and FOIA-obtained documents and is consistent with MFEI’s evidentiary standard of distinguishing established fact, logical inference, and conditional conclusion.
According to MFEI, the report was substantially researched and written before the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division’s July 7, 2026, correspondence to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, and the organization notes the Department’s stated enforcement priorities, including voter registration list accuracy, federal election-record retention, and NVRA and HAVA compliance, as parallel issues examined throughout the report’s fifteen counts.
Report Findings
The report’s fifteen counts address, among other subjects:
● Executive and administrative oversight (Counts 1–2)
A documented pattern of election-rulemaking authority consolidated in the executive branch, including the Michigan Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules (MOAHR), which the report suggests operates without or beyond its statutory authorization, Senate confirmation, or budgetary independence.
● Voter roll maintenance (Counts 3–4)
The report's findings on Qualified Voter File record-keeping, including its statement that roughly 491,873 voting-history records were deleted in apparent conflict with state retention requirements. Plus, questions about Michigan's participation in the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a non-governmental organization.
● Oversight, speech, and overseas voting (Counts 5–6)
The Michigan House of Representatives’ May 2025 civil contempt finding against Secretary of State Benson and MDOS over legislative subpoenas for training materials, and questions regarding overseas ballot compliance under UOCAVA.
● Absentee ballot and Election Day administration (Counts 7–8)
Drop box, transport, and signature-verification procedures used in 2020.
● Poll challenger access, voting systems, and canvass integrity (Counts 9–11)
Restrictions on poll challenger rights and reconciliation discrepancies identified by Wayne County Board of Canvassers member Monica Palmer in a majority of Detroit’s absent voter counting boards.
● Third-party involvement and physical ballot evidence (Counts 12–14)
The report’s review of contractor GBI Strategies’ registration activities, challenger testimony regarding the TCF Center count, and forensic findings from Speckin Forensics LLC regarding ballot-application documentation.
● Election infrastructure procurement (Count 15)
An evaluation of Michigan’s pending voting-system procurement (RFP 260000000114/RFP214) against standards of software independence, auditability, and transparency.
The report closes with recommended investigative actions directed to the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and Election Crimes Branch, the Election Assistance Commission Office of Inspector General, the Michigan Attorney General, and the Michigan Legislature.
Statement from MFEI
“Sunlight is the best disinfectant,” said Patrice Johnson, Chair and Founder of the Michigan Fair Elections Institute. “This report reflects nearly a year of volunteer research grounded in primary-source records — statutes, court filings, sworn testimony, and official documents. We are publishing it in full so that policymakers, journalists, and the public can evaluate the evidence for themselves, and so the same oversight gaps that affected 2020 are addressed before the 2026 election cycle.”
Availability
The full report, along with its supporting appendices, is available through MFEI’s library at mifairelections.org/library. https://b6d83fed-d9cb-4cb1-9e2f-60cfa1575f8d.filesusr.com/ugd/6c7361_2d7a02e50304477fb978fb7380a75f56.pdf
A seven-page executive summary of the report's findings can found on pp. viii through xiv.
About the Michigan Fair Elections Institute
Founded in 2022, the Michigan Fair Elections Institute (MFEI) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) educational organization (EIN 92-3943258) that conducts primary-source research on Michigan election administration. MFEI operates alongside its affiliate, Pure Integrity Michigan Elections (PIME), a 501(c)(4), and works with a volunteer network across Michigan’s 83 counties. MFEI does not support or oppose candidates for public office or political parties.
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