Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) said Sunday she and other election officials across the nation are concerned about “violence and disruption” as November’s midterm elections approach.
Benson, Michigan’s top official tasked with maintaining election integrity, made the comments on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” telling host Major Garrett there was great concern about “the continued spread of misinformation.”
“Which after all fuels the potential for extra threats, harassment and even violence on Election Day,” she added.
Michigan Sec. of State Jocelyn Benson says she and other secretaries of state are frightened about “violence and disruption on Election Day” and the “spread of misinformation.” pic.twitter.com/Ck2wKham8B
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) September 4, 2022
Her comments come amid heated dialogue from each parties. President Joe Biden has been touring the nation, decrying extreme factions of the GOP which have embraced Donald Trump’s “MAGA” ideology. Trump and his surrogates have in turn excoriated Biden as “hateful and divisive.”
Benson said Sunday election officials on either side of the political spectrum were working “day and night” with law enforcement and other partners to “protect the sanctity of the polling place and protect the integrity of our democracy” heading into November.
“It’s also necessary to notice that we’ve been doing this work now for near two years, or over two years, and we’ve been succeeding really at every turn. Democracy prevailed in 2020,” she said. “So, we’re in some ways much more prepared this yr than ever before, than ― even than we were in 2020, to be certain that we’re eliminating, mitigating or actually protecting the system against any potential disruptions.”
Michigan Sec. of State Benson welcomes questions on the election process: “The more transparency now we have on the method…the more people can understand, really, how much work has gone into protecting the safety and accessibility of elections for each voter.” pic.twitter.com/moUs038GYc
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) September 4, 2022
Garrett went on to ask if voters should remain interested by election integrity going into the midterms. Benson agreed, saying officials welcomed “questions based on evidence” but said voters should reject efforts to create political instability through disinformation and fear mongering.
“What’s really happened over the previous few years is that this growth of factless misinformation or allegations based not on evidence, but on aspersions, and really geared towards furthering partisan agendas, and delegitimizing democracy itself,” she said.
