LANSING, Michigan (LifeSiteNews) — Republicans in Michigan are concerned about the consequences of two bills signed into law by Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer that she claims will “make sure the winner can take office without unnecessary interference.”
Whitmer approved Senate Bills 603 and 604 this week. They are purportedly aimed at preventing frivolous recounts and streamlining complaints over voter fraud. Among other alarming things, they strip investigatory power for fraud from bi-partisan boards of canvassers and hand it over to county prosecutors.
Democratic state Senator Stephanie Chang, who sponsored Senate Bill 603, described the measure as a “common-sense” way of “strengthening our democracy.”
But Republicans, who are a minority in both of Michigan’s legislative chambers, suspect something more sinister is afoot.
“This kind of stuff is crafted to get an outcome for the people who are not transparent,” state Senator James Runestad, R-White Lake, has said.
“It’s not a crime – or at least it shouldn’t be – to practice skepticism,” GOP state Representative Rachel Smit, a former elections clerk, has stated. “This bill will eliminate what little trust citizens have left in our election systems.”
Michigan has been one of the most important swing states in recent presidential elections. In 2016, Donald Trump upset Hillary Clinton by squeaking out a 10,000-vote victory. Joe Biden allegedly beat Trump by 154,000 votes in 2020. Many national polls show Trump is currently ahead of Biden in the state by several percentage points.
The bills notably restrict the ability of a candidate to request a recount. Such a request will now only be approved if the discrepancy is likely to flip the election in the challenger’s favor. There are also higher fees for recount requests based on the margin of victory. The move is intended to disincentivize candidates who receive a small percentage of the overall vote.
Democracy Docket reports that the law further states that a recount is not an “investigation or an audit of the conduct of an election.” It also does not “assess the qualifications of electors participating in an election or the manner in which ballots are applied for or issued to electors.”
The website further relates that recount requests must be filed within 48 hours after the certification of the votes by the board of canvassers and that it is a felony punishable of up to five years for “any individual who willfully interferes with a recount or activities of a recount.”
GOP state Senator Ruth Johnson accused Democrats of “stripping away layer after layer of integrity in our elections.”
Johnson previously served as Michigan’s secretary of state from 2011 to 2019.
The aforementioned state Rep. Rachel Smit also said in June that the bill, which goes into effect immediately, was approved “because the Democrats have a hard time winning otherwise.”
“If we’ve had the most safe and secure election that we’ve heard time and time again, the last couple of election cycles that we’ve had, then why are we doing all (this),” she asked.
The U.S. national elections are scheduled for Tuesday, November 5.