Three Stories . . . Three Minutes!

1. Johnson says: “Benson’s rules must be stopped.”

2. Grumpy ret. municipal clerk stumping for RCV

3. Benson promoting herself

By Kristine Christlieb, MFEI News & Commentary Editor

October 28, 2025

Benson’s Election Rules Go Too Far

On Wednesday, Michigan’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) will be considering the Department of State’s final version of proposed rules governing the conduct of elections.

For months, Pure Integrity Michigan Elections (PIME) Founder and Chair Patrice Johnson has been warning of Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s overreach through the state’s JCAR rulemaking process.

The rule set JCAR will review tomorrow includes a number of provisions that go beyond what is required in Michigan law. In a written statement, Johnson gave this example.

“The Secretary of State’s Rule Set 13 invents a ‘personal knowledge’ requirement for voter challenges that isn’t in Michigan law. MCL 168.512 only asks for a sworn affidavit, not direct observation. By barring reliable data like USPS records, the SOS restricts our right to ensure accurate voter rolls, undermining election integrity and public trust. We’re calling on JCAR to object to these rules and send them back to the SOS.”

If the rule set is approved and goes into effect, voters’ only remedy is to sue the secretary of state. “Jocelyn Benson is a lawyer, her deputy is a lawyer, her director of the Bureau of Elections is a lawyer. No matter how much it costs Michigan taxpayers, they are more than happy to battle this out in court even though their win/loss record is weak.”

Johnson says Benson’s strategy is to circumvent legislators and govern through the rule-making process. “She must be stopped,” Johnson warns.

Ret. Municipal Clerk Fighting Uphill Battle for RCV

A retired municipal clerk from the city of East Lansing is promoting the benefits of ranked choice voting (RCV) to Michigan municipal clerks.

In a four-page letter dated October 24 and sent via email, Marie Wicks claimed she was writing to her colleagues “to provide factual information” about RCV and “to offer myself to you as a resource.”

Wicks’ letter in support of RCV comes just nine days after the Michigan Association of County Clerks voted unanimously to oppose Rank MI Vote’s ballot proposal. The letter does not reference the county clerks’ vote. Wicks' letter does address some of the concerns county clerks raised, for example, possible delayed election results.

At the end of her letter Wicks provides her email address, offering “to schedule time for an open and honest conversation with you about RCV.” The email address is tied to rankmivote.org. Wicks does not disclose any official affiliation either as a volunteer or as an employee for Rank MI Vote, but she does say her “communication was authorized by Rank MI Vote.”

Wicks has a history of creating problems for Republicans. In October 2024, Republican poll worker applicant Sheree Ritchie registered for and was cleared to attend a training session for city of East Lansing elections. Wicks arrived to lead the training and spotted Ritchie at a table, waiting for the instruction to begin.

In a written statement, Ritchie explained what happened next. “I can’t quote Wicks verbatim, but she walked straight over to me and said something to me along these lines: ‘I know who you are, and I know the organization you're with, and you will not be working any elections in the city of East Lansing, and I have to ask you to leave.’”

Republican Secretary of State candidate Monica Yatooma has blocked Wicks from her X account, saying, “Wicks wants to name-call, using words like ‘extremists,’ ‘election deniers,’ and ‘morons.’”

In a phone interview, Yatooma said she tried to engage Wicks in a friendly way but ultimately decided that wasn’t going to be possible and blocked her.

Between national opinion trending away from RCV plus the opposition of the state’s county clerks, Wicks and Rank MI Vote are the underdogs.

Michigan Fair Elections Institute reached out to Wicks by phone and email for comment. She did not reply.

Benson’s PR Campaign against the Department of Justice - COMMENTARY

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has produced a two-minute video and a second press release [here, here] promoting her refusal to respond to U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) requests for voter information.

She tells the audience, “The United States Justice Department is trying to get me, Michigan’s chief elections officer, to turn over your social security number, driver’s license number, and voting information. I told them they can’t have it.”

In an age of deep state surveillance tactics that track every, individual internet click, Benson’s pearl-clutching over voter privacy simply isn’t believable. More likely, she has produced the video (at taxpayers’ expense) to showcase her tough stand against the evil Trump administration’s Department of Justice.

Benson won’t give the House Oversight Committee access to clerk training materials and now she’s playing the same game of keep away with the DOJ. She might want to consider: it’s the age of deep state surveillance; it’s also the age of FAFO.