Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson issued the following statement regarding former President Donald Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson's claims about "potentially hundreds of thousands of votes" being cast by non-citizens:
"When former President (Donald) Trump, Speaker (Mike) Johnson, and others call for states to do things we are already doing or ban things that are already banned they aren’t actually supporting election integrity.
"They are intentionally misleading American voters. Why? Because they want to scare us. They want to diminish citizens’ confidence in valid election results so that they can try to block those valid election results if they don’t like them. But here’s the truth. Every professional election official across the country is working every day to make it easier to vote and harder to cheat, ensure only those legally registered and eligible are casting ballots, and protecting the election process from nefarious interference from bad actors - be they foreign or domestic. Our goal is to, transparently and honestly, make sure every citizen has rightly placed faith in their voice, their vote, and in democracy.
"So, in the months ahead, I encourage everyone to seek out trusted information from election officials and professional administrators who are actually committed truth and integrity. Help us debunk misinformation wherever it comes from, including when it comes from a former president or current congressional speaker of the House. Because that’s how we actually protect the integrity of our elections. Standing together, rejecting the scare tactics, and ensuring every valid vote is counted."
