Press Releases

Today, Representative Jack Bergman led Michigan Republican Members of Congress in sending a letter to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson demanding answers on Michigan’s elections and urging her to protect election integrity.

Following reports of a Chinese national University of Michigan student - who is not a U.S. citizen - casting a ballot for the upcoming Presidential election, Rep. Jack Bergman, joined by Reps. John Moolenaar, Bill Huizenga, Tim Walberg, John James, and Lisa McClain, wrote a letter to Secretary Jocelyn Benson outlining their concerns and demanding answers on this issue.

You can read the letter here or below:

Secretary Benson:

As you know, the State of Michigan will play a pivotal role in next week’s election, potentially deciding who will become the 47th President of the United States and which party will control the United States Congress.

On October 22, 2024, you made the following statement: “Let me be clear: We have secure elections in Michigan.” Furthermore, you testified before the Committee on House Administration on September 11, 2024, stating there is “no evidence non-citizens are voting.” And yet, according to a recent report by The Detroit News, a University of Michigan student who is a Chinese national – and not a U.S. citizen – allegedly cast a ballot for the upcoming presidential election. The report goes on to note that his ballot will be counted.

Only U.S. citizens are legally permitted to vote in federal elections. You acknowledged this fact during a recent interview on CNN, noting that “Only US citizens can vote in our elections, and secure processes are in place in every state to ensure and reinforce that.” Clearly, this acknowledgement is at odds with the aforementioned report.

Having instances of non-citizens voting, however isolated they may be, puts doubt into the minds of the millions of Michiganders who entrust you with ensuring our elections are secure, free, and fair, and that the results are valid.

With this in mind, we would like you to answer the following questions:

1. What steps is your office taking to verify the citizenship and residency of individuals registering to vote in Michigan to ensure only eligible voters participate in the upcoming election?

2. Will you commit to prosecuting ineligible voters, like the Chinese University of Michigan student, to the fullest extent of the law?

3. How is the Michigan Secretary of State’s office addressing potential risks related to ineligible individuals voting, and what security measures are in place to protect the integrity of the voter rolls?

4. What avenues of recourse are available to ensure improper ballots are not counted? And will you pursue them?

Please respond no later than Friday, November 1, 2024, at 5 p.m.