JOCELYN BENSON

Democratic congresswoman Elissa Slotkin of Michigan is taking steps toward seeking the U.S. Senate seat held by retiring Democrat Debbie Stabenow.

The electoral success Democratic women have had in Michigan stands out among battleground states. In the wake of a senator's retirement, several are eyeing next steps.

The honorees include state officials who resisted pressure to overturn election results, police officers who defended the Capitol and election workers.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was sworn in alongside other Democratic leaders as she officially began her second term in office after winning reelection in the 2022 midterms.

Federal proposals that would have significantly boosted security funding for election offices and heightened penalties for threatening their staff failed to advance this year.

State or local officials in five of the six contested battlegrounds where former president Donald Trump tried to reverse his defeat have received similar subpoenas.

In her reelection last month, Benson comfortably defeated her Trump-backed opponent by14 percentage points.

Only scattered challenges to certification of the midterm election have been reported in the United States, and not a single one is based on any problems with the accuracy of the results.

Certification of this year’s midterm election results appears to be proceeding smoothly and with little controversy across the country, save for one hiccup in a rural Arizona county.

So far, false claims of voting malfeasance have not incited the chaos that many had feared would ensue, stoked by a mythos of election fraud that's become a core belief for many on the right.

This week’s ballot had an unspoken candidate — American democracy.

Poll workers educated voters about the process and deescalated conflict, state officials said, which kept allegations of wrongdoing from sparking unrest.

Benson defeated Kristina Karamo, an election denier who made a name for herself claiming without evidence she saw fraud in the 2020 election.

In an election that had experts worried about vigilante poll monitors and the potential for danger for election workers, voting on Election Day seems to have gone off without any major incidents.

A shortage of poll workers has concerned local election officials across the country as the midterm elections approach.

In one of the country's premier battleground states, a last-ditch effort from Michigan Republican gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon has helped her pull closer with incumbent Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

With Election Day 12 days away, efforts are already underway in courtrooms across the country to sow doubt over the outcome.

The GOP is set to have the "most litigious" election cycle since 1981, launching 73 election integrity lawsuits in 20 states on issues such as poll watchers and absentee ballots.

Campaign spending is setting records in races to oversee state elections.

Before the 2020 presidential election, certifying election results was routine and generated little public attention.

Candidates who have to play to their party’s base during primaries or nominating conventions often shift toward the center when the time comes to seek support from a wider range of voters for the general election.

Michigan lawmakers approved legislation Wednesday that would allow larger municipalities to begin processing ballots two days before an election.

Harri Hursti bought the Dominion machine to uncover it's vulnerabilities. Something he often does for state election officials. But authorities are trying to find out how the machine ended up online.

The following is the transcript of an interview with Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson that aired Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022, on "Face the Nation."

Rep. Jaime Raskin, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and more will appear on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" this Sunday.

An apparent attempt by a voter in Colorado to tamper with a voting machine during the state's primary this summer has heightened concerns among election officials and security experts.

A top official says the Justice Department has charged five people for making threats of violence against election workers amid a rising wave of harassment and intimidation tied to the 2020 presidential election.

Businesswoman and conservative commentator Tudor Dixon has won the Republican primary for Michigan governor.

Some Democratic candidates in statewide down-ballot races have decided to make abortion access key to their campaigns.

An Associated Press survey of state election officials across the U.S. found that the expanded use of drop boxes for mailed ballots during the 2020 election didn't lead to any widespread problems.

This week’s gripping testimony to Congress about threats to local election officials following the 2020 presidential election had a rapt audience outside Washington — secretaries of state and election clerks across the U.

The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection is turning to former President Donald Trump’s pressure campaign on state and local officials to overturn his 2020 election loss.

Add one more group of contests to the white-hot races for Congress and governor that will dominate this year’s midterm elections: secretaries of state.

Out of the many election-denying candidates running in secretary of state races across the U.S, Kristina Karamo is the first to move toward appearing on a state ballot in November.

Two candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump have won Michigan Republicans’ backing for attorney general and secretary of state at a convention, clearing their path to face Democratic incumbents in the fall.

Arizona’s Republican House speaker has been awarded the John F.

Former President Donald Trump’s extraordinary effort to mold Republicans’ 2022 tickets will be put to the test this weekend in Michigan, where thousands of party activists will endorse candidates including for attorney general and secretary of state.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is among five people being named as recipients of the John F.

Five honorees were selected this year for their "courage to protect and defend democracy," the JFK Library Foundation said.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was one of the more high-profile targets of political violence when prosecutors say a group of men who were angry about pandemic restrictions plotted to kidnap her.

Election officials preparing for this year’s midterms have yet another security concern to add to an already long list – threats from within.

Supporters of Donald Trump are trying to remove some of the guardrails that stopped him from overturning the 2020 presidential election.

The first major election day following a year of relentless attacks on voting rights and election officials went off largely without a hitch.

Three women face voter fraud charges connected to the 2020 election in Michigan.

Texas has become the latest state where Republicans have rolled back access to voting methods that soared in popularity during last year’s pandemic presidential election.

Voting officials, who used to operate in relative anonymity, are facing threats and intense pressure as a large chunk of American voters have no confidence the system is fair.

State election officials say they are confronting a myriad of challenges heading into the 2022 midterm elections.

An attorney hired to lead a 2020 election lawsuit in Antrim County announced his run for Michigan attorney general.

A federal judge in Detroit is considering whether to order financial penalties and other sanctions against some of former President Donald Trump’s lawyers.

Michigan’s attorney general is investigating after a Republican-led state legislative committee said people are making baseless allegations about 2020 presidential election results in a northern Michigan county to raise money or publicity for their own ends.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson says politicians lying about fraud in the 2020 presidential election, Republican efforts to make voting more difficult and the continued spread of disinformation leave her deeply concerned about the future of American democracy.

Republicans in Florida, Georgia and other states have seized on former President Donald Trump's false claims of election fraud to push ID requirements for voters to request or return mailed ballots.

Democrats and Republicans both see the legislation, which touches on nearly every aspect of the electoral process, as fundamental to their parties’ political futures. Republicans charge the bill would strip power from the states and cement an unfair political advantage for Democrats. It would expand voting by mail, promote early voting and give states money to track absentee ballots. Some measures would limit mail voting, cut hours at polling places and impose restrictions that Democrats argue amount to the greatest assault on voting rights since the Jim Crow era. The bill has already run into roadblocks that have become familiar since Democrats began their narrow control of the Senate two months ago.

Democrats and Republicans both see the legislation, which touches on nearly every aspect of the electoral process, as fundamental to their parties’ political futures. Republicans charge the bill would strip power from the states and cement an unfair political advantage for Democrats. It would expand voting by mail, promote early voting and give states money to track absentee ballots. Some measures would limit mail voting, cut hours at polling places and impose restrictions that Democrats argue amount to the greatest assault on voting rights since the Jim Crow era. The bill has already run into roadblocks that have become familiar since Democrats began their narrow control of the Senate two months ago.

In one of the most striking instances, Wisconsin saw both a decline in rejection rate and the overall number of ballots tossed out. For instance, a GOP push in Georgia would eliminate no-excuse absentee voting, requiring people to give a reason. In nine, it found the mailed ballot rejection rate declined. Overall, about 0.34% of absentee ballots cast were rejected, compared with roughly 1% in the primary. Just over 15,000 ballots were rejected there in November, just shy of 0.5% of absentee ballots cast and down slightly from the primary.

Republicans in key states that voted for President-elect Joe Biden already are pushing for new restrictions, especially to absentee voting. President Donald Trump has been unrelenting in his attacks on mail voting as he continues to challenge the legitimacy of an election he lost. They are vowing to crack down on mail ballots and threatening to roll back other steps that have made it easier for people to vote. An estimated 108 million people voted before Election Day, either through early in-person voting or by mailing or dropping off absentee ballots. Previous elections have shown that voters appreciate mail voting, no matter their party affiliation.

Michigan Secretary of State preparing audits to affirm confidence in 2020 election Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is preparing to conduct multiple statewide audits of the 2020 election to affirm public confidence in its integrity. It comes as she and others face attacks from President Trump and his allies over unfounded claims of fraud. Secretary Benson joined "CBSN AM" to discuss.

But Trump did tweet that he was directing his team to cooperate on the transition. The president had grown increasingly frustrated with the flailing tactics of his legal team. Some Trump allies had expressed hope that state lawmakers could intervene in selecting Republican electors in states that do not certify. The campaign, in its filings, asked for urgent consideration so it could challenge the state election results before they are certified next month. Pennsylvania county election boards voted Monday, the state deadline, on whether to certify election results to the Department of State.

Then there is Georgia, where election officials did a high-profile audit of the presidential race as required by state law. It began when two Republican election board members of the district that includes majority-Black Detroit, voted to block a routine certification of the votes. At most, election officials have cited routine instances of human error or minor technical problems. Trump’s own election security agency declared the 2020 presidential election to have been the most secure in history. At this point it's unlikely that any audit in any state could uncover problems large enough to sway election results.

With a few reports of overly aggressive poll watchers, election officials said they were carefully balancing access with the need to minimize disruptions. Voting advocates noted the restrictions applied to both Republican and Democratic poll watchers. “There are specific rules in Pennsylvania about where poll watchers can stand and what they can do,” said Suzanne Almeida, interim director of Common Cause Pennsylvania. This is not about disadvantaging one party over another.”The number of poll watchers allowed at an election office varies. Also Thursday, a Michigan judge dismissed a Trump campaign lawsuit over whether enough Republican poll watchers had access to the handling of absentee ballots.

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH POLL WATCHERS? The campaign of President Donald Trump says Republican poll watchers are being improperly denied access to observe the counting of ballots. Tasked this year with monitoring a record number of mail ballots, partisan poll watchers are designated by a political party or campaign to report any concerns they may have. With a few reports of overly aggressive poll watchers, election officials said they were carefully balancing access with the need to minimize disruptions. Poll watchers have been a central element of legal battles that have erupted in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Nevada.

With a few reports of overly aggressive poll watchers, election officials said they were carefully balancing access with the need to minimize disruptions. Voting advocates noted the restrictions applied to both Republican and Democratic poll watchers. “There are specific rules in Pennsylvania about where poll watchers can stand and what they can do,” said Suzanne Almeida, interim director of Common Cause Pennsylvania. This is not about disadvantaging one party over another.”The number of poll watchers allowed at an election office varies. Also Thursday, a Michigan judge dismissed a Trump campaign lawsuit over whether enough Republican poll watchers had access to the handling of absentee ballots.

Democrats scoffed at the legal challenges the president's campaign filed Wednesday in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia. In spite of the aggressive move, the flurry of court action did not seem obviously destined to impact the election's outcome. Every election, results reported on election night are unofficial and ballot counting extends past Election Day. Campaign officials said they were considering peppering a dozen other counties around the state with similar claims around absentee ballots. Trump, addressing supporters at the White House early Wednesday, talked about taking the undecided race to the Supreme Court.

(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)Maceo Rhodes, 34, talks with a Trump supporter at the counting center. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)A woman gives the thumbs down at the counting center. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)People wait to check in at the vote-counting center. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)An election worker tries to explain to election challengers that the center is at capacity. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Workers prepare mail-in ballots for counting, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020, at the convention center in Lancaster, Pa., following Tuesday's election. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)If you need help with the Public File, call 540-512-1554.

Unlike in previous years, states were contending with an avalanche of mail ballots driven by the global pandemic. Every election, what’s reported on election night are unofficial results, and the counting of votes extends past Election Day. This year, with so many mail ballots and close races in key states, counting every vote was expected to take more time. “These ballots were cast by tens of thousands of Michigan citizens who have the right to have their vote counted. Slowing the process down was the fact that local election officials could not begin processing and scanning ballots ahead of Election Day, as most states did.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said "I'm grateful for our sports partners in Detroit," Benson said Tuesday night at the home of the Detroit Lions. "They really led the way for sports teams across the country to play a critical role in providing the resources we needed to run the election successfully this year. “I'm grateful for our sports partners in Detroit," Benson said Tuesday night at the home of the Lions. “They really led the way for sports teams across the country to play a critical role in providing the resources we needed to run the election successfully this year. Meanwhile, many Major League Baseball and NHL teams also put their stadiums and arenas in play on Election Day.

Every election, results reported on election night are unofficial and the counting of ballots extends past Election Day. The Georgia lawsuit filed in Chatham County essentially asks a judge to ensure the state laws are being followed on absentee ballots. Campaign officials said they were considering peppering a dozen other counties around the state with similar claims around absentee ballots. Trump, addressing supporters at the White House early Wednesday, talked about taking the undecided race to the Supreme Court. Ohio State University election law professor Edward Foley wrote on Twitter Wednesday: “The valid votes will be counted.

FILE - In this Monday, Oct. 19, 2020, file photo, an election worker places a vote-by-mail ballot into an official ballot drop box outside of an early voting site, in Miami. Just days before the presidential election, millions of mail-in ballots have still not been returned in key battleground states. Many of those are due in county offices by Tuesday, Nov. 3, but the latest Postal Service delivery data suggests its too late for voters to drop their ballots in the mail. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

Just days before the presidential election, millions of mail-in ballots have still not been returned in key battleground states. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)ATLANTA – Just days before the presidential election, millions of mail ballots have yet to be returned in key battleground states, and election officials warn that time is running out for voters who want to avoid a polling place on Election Day. At least 35 million mail ballots had been returned or accepted as of early Wednesday, according to data collected by The Associated Press. That surpasses the 33.3 million total mail ballots returned during the 2016 election, according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. Yet an estimated 1.9 million ballots were still outstanding in Florida, along with 962,000 in Nevada, 850,000 in Michigan and 1 million in Pennsylvania.

Michigan's secretary of state on Friday banned the open carry of guns at polling places and other official voting locations on Election Day in the state, a move that comes on the heels of an alleged plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Earlier this month, federal authorities arrested six men in connection with allegedly plotting to kidnap Whitmer, with one of those defendants allegedly saying the group would try the governor for "treason." The alleged plot to kidnap Whitmer, and discussions about also kidnapping Virginia Gov. Whitmer and Nessel have said Trump's rhetoric could have played a role in sparking the alleged plot. Trump has continued attacking Whitmer for her policies even after the alleged kidnap plot was exposed.

President Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday to withhold funding from Michigan and Nevada for expanding their mail-in voting services in an effort to avoid crowded polling centers during the coronavirus pandemic. This was done illegally and without authorization by a rogue Secretary of State," Trump tweeted. "I will ask to hold up funding to Michigan if they want to go down this Voter Fraud path!" It's unclear what "funding" Trump is referring to. Shortly after that tweet, Trump unloaded on Nevada for expanding mail-in voting to carry out the state's congressional primaries on June 9.

DETROIT (Reuters) - Michigan will send absentee ballot applications to all registered voters, a state official announced on Tuesday, as the state prepares to hold the Nov. 3 election largely by mail due to the coronavirus outbreak. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, said 1.3 million permanent absentee voters are normally mailed an application before each election, but that would be extended to all 7.7 million Michigan voters. By mailing applications, we have ensured that no Michigander has to choose between their health and their right to vote, Benson, a Democrat, said in a statement. Voters will have to return an application by mail or email to receive a ballot to vote in the Aug. 4 state primary or the Nov. 3 general election. Conservatives including Trump have said that increasing use of voting by mail could increase the risk of fraud in elections.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said the step announced as the state continues to confront the coronavirus pandemic ensures no one has to to choose between their health and their right to vote. Her office mailed absentee ballot applications to voters in jurisdictions with local elections earlier this month, and there was record turnout.