Michigan Democrats are demanding a recount after their own endorsement convention descended into chaos, with more than 200 ineligible votes cast through a phone voting system that allegedly allowed multiple people to use the same number and cast ballots from outside the convention center.
Convention Voting System Collapses
The vote-by-phone convention in Detroit produced widespread irregularities that Democratic State Senator Sylvia Santana’s campaign detailed in a formal filing calling for an audit and recount. According to documents obtained by the Detroit News, the convention’s vote-counting process contained material errors that compromised the integrity of the endorsement process. The filing alleges Michigan Democratic Party leadership failed to enforce rules requiring voters to be physically present at Detroit’s Huntington Place convention center to cast ballots.
Santana’s campaign claims she would have won the nomination for a Michigan State University Board of Trustees position if ballots cast from outside the convention center had been properly disqualified. The filing states the Democratic Party failed its responsibility of running a procedurally fair and transparent convention that complies with its own rules and regulations, making it difficult if not impossible to honor the results.
Shocking Details of Voting Irregularities
The extent of the irregularities proved substantial. Santana’s appeal alleges 302 voters were not on the party’s master voting list. A staggering 208 people shared the same cellphone number with at least one other voter, including six members attached to a single phone number, which allowed people to cast multiple votes. At least 16 cases of votes being recorded incorrectly or not being recorded at all were discovered during the review process.
Location data examined by Santana’s campaign found more than 200 votes were cast from outside the convention center. Santana came in third place, but would have won by 50 votes if the ineligible ballots had not been counted. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat, expressed support for Santana’s call for an audit, stating the Election Buddy app did not correctly attribute her votes or congressional district.
Party Leaders Demand Accountability
Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald, who lost the party’s nomination for attorney general at the convention, similarly endorsed an audit. McDonald said in a statement that after reviewing the results, it became clear that votes were incorrectly recorded, people voted who were not onsite, and some votes were not recorded at all. The Michigan Republican Party seized on the convention mess, questioning Democrats’ commitment to election integrity. The Michigan GOP wrote on social media that hundreds of ineligible voters took part in the endorsement convention, highlighting the importance of voter integrity and noting that losing candidates are taking legal action against the Democrat Party, claiming elections were stolen from them.