LANSING, Mich. — Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, issued the following statement, calling for accountability and answers from election officials in response to Wednesday’s reports that a ballot cast illegally by a foreign national in Ann Arbor will be counted among early votes made by lawful U.S. citizens just days before Election Day:
“Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has repeatedly insisted that noncitizens cannot vote in Michigan elections. She has even testified before Congress that there is ‘no evidence that noncitizens are voting,’ and gone as far as accusing anyone who expresses concerns about such activity of ‘intentionally misleading’ the American people.
“Yet now, just days before an election that could be decided by a handful of votes, she not only admitted that a noncitizen successfully attempted to vote in our sovereign election, but that this vote will be counted because there is no way to identify or retrieve the cast ballot.
“It is extremely troubling that this violation was identified only after the foreign national allegedly asked for his ballot back. In fact, Attorney General Dana Nessel pointed out that the only apparent guardrail to the security of Michigan’s elections is the self-policing of its residents when she responded to this revealed voter fraud by saying ‘it is the responsibility of each and every resident of this state and nation to adhere to the law.’
“We have been told these instances are extremely isolated and rare events. But now we are left to wonder if what is extremely rare is these criminals turning themselves in. It would be naive to assume this incident is the only instance of a noncitizen taking advantage of our state’s lax election laws.
“Secretary Benson and Attorney General Nessel must immediately explain to the people of Michigan how they will ensure their votes are not being canceled out by those voting illegally. They must assure the people of Michigan that there is more safeguarding the security of our elections than simply hoping criminals will turn themselves in.”