WXMI — Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is seeking reelection, and after 2020, Benson says her foremost concern is elections.
Despite 250 audits showing that Michigan's elections were secure and accurate in 2020, Benson's opponent is one of the country's most vocal deniers of that.
So this year, Benson is asking voters to choose between more than just two candidates. She says this election is for the future of elections in Michigan.
"The citizens of have a choice this year. This is, in my view, not a partisan one. It's just a choice between truth and conspiracy theories," Benson told FOX17.
As the person charged with overseeing the state's elections, Benson has no doubts that the 2020 vote she ran was a safe one.
It's a message her opponent, Kristina Karamo, has not only questioned but openly rebuked, clinging to debunked claims that widespread fraud plagued the results two years ago.
"When you see someone who chooses to spread conspiracy theories and lies that have long been disproved, the idea that they could then use the platform of this office to do so could really harm a lot of residents and cause real damage to what they should have as a rightly placed faith in our elections," said Benson.
With the 2020 election falling during some of the worst days of the pandemic, Benson expanded the ability for people to vote absentee, mailing an application to every voter in the state.
The move drew criticism from cautious Republicans, but 3.5 million of the 5.5 million people who voted in that election cast their ballots outside a polling place.
In the run-up to this year's election, Benson has tried to undertake more reforms, including seven days of absentee ballot pre-processing as well as the release of unofficial results on election night before tallies are finalized.
"I would like to see us get full unofficial results as soon as possible after the polls close. That's the goal. It minimizes the potential for misinformation," Benson explained.
Benson also wants military families stationed overseas to be able to submit their ballots electronically.
Additionally, she's asked the state legislature for more funding this election cycle, and she has proposed making Election Day a holiday.
However, after protests outside her home this May, Benson worries too for the safety of election workers, saying it's a "tragedy upon tragedy of people who've been lied to by leaders, and then using those lies to then fuel threats and other violent rhetoric and perhaps even violent acts, and it's created a real strain on our ability to run elections in a way where everyone feels secure and safe."
Besides elections, Benson notes her pride in moving the Secretary of State Department to a new age of efficiency. COVID forced their hand at making some necessary changes, like an appointment-based system, mobile and satellite offices, and an expansion of online services.
"Gone are the long lines, gone are a lot of the inefficient ways of doing business," says Benson. "We've doubled the number of services people can do outside of offices at grocery stores or online or through the mail. And now you can get in and out of our office whether you walk up or make your appointment ahead of time within 20 minutes."
With the November 8th election fast approaching, Benson is asking, no matter what happens, for patience on Election Day and beyond as votes are counted.
"We prioritize accuracy and security sometimes over speed and efficiency. But I'm a big believer, we should try to do all those things, but we've got to prioritize security and accuracy first," Benson says.
Watch FOX 17's full interview with Benson:
