In the latest primary held in August 2024, Detroit's election setup faced scrutiny due to the disproportionate number of Democrats hired as poll workers compared to Republicans—a situation ongoing for several years and breaching Michigan state law.
Just The News reported that during the 2024 primary election for Detroit, statistics revealed a substantial disparity in poll worker recruitment. Out of the 2,827 individuals hired, 2,340 were Democrats while only 308 were Republicans.
This imbalance highlights a significant deviation from Michigan state law, which stipulates that poll worker positions should be nearly equally divided between the two dominant political parties.
In May 2024, the Republican Party submitted a sizable list of 676 potential poll worker candidates for consideration in the upcoming primary.
However, a minute fraction of these recommended individuals, merely 52, found their roles in the actual events. This limited acceptance raises questions regarding the selection criteria and processes used by the Detroit Department of Elections.
Looking back at previous election cycles, the trend is consistent. The 2022 general elections had 4,715 poll workers, of which only 331 were Republicans. The primary of the same year exhibited slightly better but still disproportionate numbers with 501 Republicans among 5,270 workers. The 2020 general elections also painted a similar picture; out of 5,486 poll workers, a mere 170 were Republicans.
Michigan Fair Elections (MFE), Pure Integrity Michigan Elections (PIME), and the Michigan Conservative Coalition (MCC) took it upon themselves to examine the data concerning poll worker affiliations.
They highlighted an unusual trend: a significant number of individuals categorized as Republican poll workers had a history of casting votes in Democratic primaries. Specifically, 131 of the 143 analyzed Republicans showed this crossover in their voting history.
Amidst these election personnel practices, Detroit has faced legal challenges reminiscent of similar issues in other Michigan cities like Flint, which underwent comparable scrutinies and legal responses. However, a lawsuit targeting Flint’s similar hiring practices led by the RNC and Michigan's state GOP was ultimately dismissed by the Court of Appeals.
Further complicating the fairness scrutiny during the recent primary were the technical glitches that afflicted vital infrastructure.
The election was significantly delayed due to a malfunction involving a computer firewall. This unexpected fault necessitated that the election results be physically transported across Wayne County, undermining the efficiency and potential security measures essential for such processes.
The context of these controversies is deepened by procedural histories. In 2020, the Detroit City Council approved a $1 million contract to P.I.E. Management, LLC, spearheaded by William A. Phillips, for organizing poll worker recruitment—a decision that has since come under the microscope amid the ongoing disparities.
Patrice Johnson, founder and chair of PIME, eloquently addressed the issue: “Our constitution was founded on the concept that checks and balances are the best way to ensure fairness. When your numbers are out-of-kilter and you don’t have a fair balance, the check-and-balance system breaks down.”
Marian Sheridan, from the Michigan Republican Party, also expressed deep concern: "The situation in Detroit is particularly concerning given the city's size and role in processing a large number of ballots. Detroit election officials need to take immediate steps to rectify the imbalance and ensure that future elections are conducted according to the law.”
Adding to the voices, Gates McGavick of the Republican National Committee highlighted the broader pattern of legal scrutiny.
“We are very aware of the poll worker parity issue in Detroit and gathering necessary information as we weigh our legal options to remedy the situation. We sued Flint, Michigan over that city’s failure to hire Republican poll workers, and have sued counties in Arizona and Nevada over this same issue.”
As this story further unfolds, the city of Detroit may have to contend with increased legal pressures and public scrutiny.
The patterns of imbalance in poll worker party affiliation not only undermine local confidence in electoral integrity but may also produce significant changes in how poll workers are recruited and vetted in upcoming elections.