Michigan elections FAQ: Why Republicans are suing the state so often
- In new Michigan elections FAQ show, reporters discuss early voting and a slew of related GOP lawsuits
- Reporters also discussed celebrity endorsements, and whether they matter
- Readers asked questions about early voting and abortion policy
Four years after Donald Trump falsely claimed widespread fraud cost him the White House, Republicans have sued Michigan and other swing states multiple times this year over election rules.
They've won a Michigan suit over absentee ballot signature matching, settled others and more recently lost two suits regarding Michigan voter rolls and overseas voters.
While Democrats contend the lawsuits were designed to undermine faith in the election process, Republicans have another motivation for the "election integrity" litigation, Bridge reporter Simon Schuster said Monday in the latest Michigan elections FAQ live show.
"Republicans realize" mail-in voting and other options Trump has criticized in the past are "integral to winning these really tight battleground states," Schuster said.
"All of these lawsuits have a performative aspect to them in order to show these Republicans that, 'Hey, we're doing everything that we can to ensure that this is a safe election, so you should feel confident going out and voting earlier.’"
Whether or not that happens remains to be seen.
"Past precedent has suggested that Republicans are a little more prone to voting in-person on Election Day," noted reporter Jordyn Hermani.
Watch the full video in the player below:
Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris were both in Michigan this weekend to mark the start of early in-person voting.
Harris was joined by former First Lady Michelle Obama, whose husband rallied in Detroit last week with Eminem and former Detroit Lions star Calvin Johnson.
Harris also rallied with Beyoncé and Willie Nelson in Texas, and Taylor Swift endorsed her last month.
Do all of these celebrity endorsements really matter?
For Democrats, it’s largely an attempt to turn out voters, especially the "elusive youth vote," said reporter Lauren Gibbons.
"The assumption is that if youth or college students turn out, that that will, by and large, benefit Democrats," she said.
"But the problem is, a lot of times they don't turn out for a lot of reasons. It's a little more complicated. They may not be registered in their college community, or they're just busy or maybe they're just not quite as keyed in as other members of the electorate."
There’s much more to watch in the full video above, which you can also find on the Bridge Michigan YouTube channel.
This free, online event was part of our Michigan elections FAQ series that aims to engage and inform readers about critical contests that will help shape the direction of our state and country.
Be on the lookout for invitations to multiple Bridge election FAQ shows next week, including a post-election Lunch Break episode on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at noon. Reporters will break down the full (or latest) results.
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