Detroit has agreed to modify its poll worker selection process to ensure a more balanced representation of political parties on Election Day, following a lawsuit settlement with the Republican National Committee.
The RNC sued the city after discovering a disproportionate number of Democratic poll workers during the August primaries, noting that for every seven Democrats, only one Republican was appointed. This imbalance, the RNC argued, violated Michigan election law, which mandates that poll workers be chosen from each major political party as evenly as possible. The lawsuit demanded that Detroit hire more Republican poll workers for the upcoming November General Election.
“Thanks to the efforts of the RNC and Michigan GOP, Detroit will now change its election processes so that Republican poll workers will be allocated to all voting locations and, as. Early as possible, an equal number of Republicans will be hired this November,” RNC Chairman Michael Whatley stated.
Michigan election law specifies that the board of election commissioners must appoint poll workers from each major political party in equal numbers, or as close as possible, to promote fairness and transparency in elections. However, in the August primaries, Detroit assigned approximately 2,340 Democratic poll workers but only 308 Republicans, despite the availability of over 600 additional Republican candidates, according to the RNC.
Among the 335 precincts that reported poll worker information, 200 failed to appoint a single Republican inspector.
“Our election integrity operation will continue to fight and win for our country’s most important election,” Whatley said.
