Trump Campaign, RNC Sue Whitmer Over Michigan Voter Registration Sites
Former President Donald Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee (RNC) are suing Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other state officials over orders designating government offices as voter registration sites.
The lawsuit filed Monday alleges the Democratic governor overstepped her authority when she issued a Dec. 18 directive allowing several state and federal agencies to be used as voter registration agencies (VRAs), including the Veterans Affairs (VA) agency and Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
The suit says Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson also lacked the authority to unilaterally enter into an agreement with the Small Business Administration to designate SBA offices as VRAs in March.
Trump’s campaign and the RNC are asking the court to block the state from using the SBA and VA as voter registration sites. The plaintiffs cite Michigan law granting the Legislature the authority to make such designations, according to the complaint.
The Trump campaign, RNC and other right-wing groups have filed dozens of anti-democracy lawsuits so far this cycle.
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The complaint also alleges Whitmer is violating the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), a federal law that authorizes a state to designate agencies for voter registration in federal elections.
Monday’s lawsuit argues that any authority the governor or other state officials may have to designate VRAs must come from the Legislature, which did not authorize the governor or secretary of state to make such designations.
A spokesperson for Whitmer told Bridge Michigan that her office is reviewing the lawsuit. Last month, in a statement detailing her executive directives, Whitmer said she was acting under Michigan’s constitution, specifically Article 5 which “vests the executive power of the State of Michigan in the governor.”