Michigan election challengers face new rules to deter delays, disruptions

Michigan poll challengers face stricter rules going into the November election, part of a wave of new requirements that aim to prevent some of the disruptions that marred the ballot counting process four years ago.

Poll challengers — distinct from poll workers and poll watchers — are individuals stationed at polling places and vote-counting centers who have unique powers under Michigan law to challenge a voter’s eligibility or question the way officials are doing their jobs.

Their role in Michigan elections drew national attention in 2020, when some poll challengers who were kept out of a ballot processing center in Detroit that was filled to capacity began banging on the windows and demanding a halt to the count.

Many of the new rule changes are small but targeted at averting such conflicts that could delay vote counting. The most significant changes focus on how challengers are allowed to behave — for example, a poll challenger could be removed from the facility if they make repeated challenges that don’t pass legal muster, or “impermissible” challenges.





https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/michigan-election-challengers-face-new-rules-deter-delays-disruptions