Michigan judge rebuffs GOP bid to block ballots of some overseas, military family voters

Source: CBS News

October 21, 2024 / 4:15 PM EDT


A Michigan judge on Monday rejected a Republican effort to set aside ballots from some overseas voters who cast their votes in the key Midwestern battleground. Judge Sima Patel wrote that the Republican effort came too close to Election Day, calling it an "11th hour attempt to disenfranchise" voters who include the families of those "serving our country in the armed forces and diplomatic corps."

"The federal government requires states to permit absent uniformed services and overseas voters, as well as their spouses and dependents, to apply for and vote," Patel wrote.

Patel's order came after a rushed hearing was held last Thursday, just nine days after the Michigan Republican Party and Republican National Committee filed the lawsuit against Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. The lawsuit challenged instructions allowing the spouses and adult children of overseas Michigan residents to vote in the state as long as they're not registered elsewhere.

An attorney for the state last week called the lawsuit "simply devoid of legal merit," but said even if that were not the case, it's too close to the election to implement the changes sought by Republicans. Michigan, which has 15 electoral votes, is one of the seven battleground states that could prove decisive in the race for the White House, giving the legal battle over overseas voters added weight.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/michigan-judge-republicans-overseas-military-voters-2024-election/