LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has now acknowledged another confirmed case of noncitizen voting in Michigan — while declining to answer basic questions about how often it has happened, how many illegal ballots were cast, or what concrete steps her office is taking to stop it from happening again.
The admission came Thursday after the Department of State reviewed records flagged by Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini, whose office uncovered evidence that noncitizens had appeared in jury pools and, in several cases, were registered to vote and had cast ballots.
Speaking at a livestreamed press conference, Benson confirmed that one of the individuals identified in Forlini’s data review was a noncitizen who voted in a Michigan election. She also acknowledged that her office canceled that individual’s voter registration — but refused to disclose how many times the person voted, whether additional illegal ballots were cast, or whether similar cases were previously missed by state reviews.
That refusal has become a pattern.
A Pattern of Admissions — and Evasions
Forlini’s office reported that between September 2025 and January 2026, 239 individuals selected for jury duty in Macomb County self-identified as noncitizens. Cross-checking those names against voter rolls revealed 14 individuals who had registered to vote at some point, including 10 still listed as qualified voters. At least three showed voting histories, and one had voted multiple times before removal.
Under Michigan law, noncitizens are barred from both jury service and voting.
Yet Michigan’s automatic voter registration system — tied to driver’s license transactions — relies on self-attestation of citizenship, not verification against a federal database. The state does not systematically confirm citizenship status before adding individuals to the voter rolls.
Benson has repeatedly insisted that “only U.S. citizens can register to vote or cast ballots in our elections.” The evidence emerging from Macomb County directly contradicts that claim.
Numbers Don’t Add Up
The scope of the issue becomes more troubling when viewed statewide.
When Benson took office, Michigan had approximately 7.5 million registered voters — about 300,000 fewer than the voting-age population. By 2022, the state reported roughly 8.2 million registered voters for a voting-age population of about 7.9 million, following an expansion of automatic registration programs.
Despite those figures, Benson has refused to provide a clear accounting of how many noncitizens have been identified and removed from the voter rolls during her tenure. When pressed by reporters Thursday, she could not — or would not — answer.
Instead, she alleged without documentation that her office has removed more than 1.1 million “out-of-date” registrations, a figure unrelated to the narrower and more serious question of illegal voting by noncitizens.
Prior Testimony, Now Undercut
This is not the first time Benson’s public statements have been undermined by later disclosures.
In September 2024, Benson testified before Congress that there was “no evidence that noncitizens are voting.” One month later, she acknowledged that a Chinese national — a University of Michigan student — illegally cast a ballot in the 2024 election that could not be retrieved once counted.
By April 2025, Benson admitted at least 15 additional illegal ballots were likely cast in that same election. Republican lawmakers later suggested the true number could be significantly higher.
Now, with another confirmed noncitizen vote emerging from Forlini’s findings, Benson again downplayed the significance — while warning that scrutiny itself could harm “faith in elections.”
Shifting Blame, Avoiding Fixes
Rather than outlining corrective measures, Benson has focused her criticism on those who uncovered the problem.
She accused Forlini and federal investigators of attempting to “intimidate” state officials and suggested that efforts to tighten election safeguards are politically motivated. At the same time, she continues to campaign against proposals requiring proof of citizenship or photo identification to vote — measures supporters argue would directly address the vulnerabilities now on display.
Despite promising in 2025 to work with lawmakers on legislation to prevent illegal voting, no such bill has materialized from her office. Instead, Benson proposed a slate of election rule changes critics say would make challenges to illegal votes more difficult.
She also declined to specify what steps, if any, her office is taking to prevent noncitizen voting going forward.
The Core Question Remains
At issue is not rhetoric, but responsibility.
Michigan law is clear. Voting by noncitizens is illegal. Each confirmed case represents not just a clerical error, but a breakdown in election administration. Yet Benson — now overseeing the state’s election system while campaigning for higher office — has offered assurances instead of answers, narratives instead of numbers.
Forlini’s findings suggest the problem may not be isolated. Benson’s unwillingness to fully account for it has only intensified scrutiny.
As one confirmed noncitizen vote becomes two, then sixteen, then potentially dozens, the question facing Michigan voters is simple: how many more went undetected — and why does the state’s chief election official still refuse to say?
