Lawsuit Filed Against Detroit Election Commission Over Poll Worker Imbalance

DETROIT — The Republican National Committee (RNC) and Michigan GOP have filed a lawsuit against the Detroit Election Commission, alleging a significant violation of Michigan election law regarding the hiring of poll workers. The complaint, filed in state court, claims that the commission has appointed over seven times more Democratic election inspectors than Republicans for the upcoming 2024 primary election, contravening the legal requirement to appoint an equal number from each major political party. According to the lawsuit, Detroit has 2,337 Democratic poll watchers compared to just 310 Republicans, with a staggering 202 out of 335 precincts reportedly lacking any Republican poll watchers. The complaint highlights that the city has not adequately followed up on a list of 675 potential Republican candidates submitted by Paula Gnacke-Nemeth, a former chair of a Wayne County congressional district, from which only 52 were selected. The RNC's lawsuit emphasizes that the Detroit Election Commission, which consists of three members, has a legal obligation to ensure a balanced representation of election inspectors. The lawsuit seeks intervention from the Wayne County Circuit Court to compel the commission to fulfill its duties and comply with state law by October 15, ahead of the November election. RNC Chairman Michael Whatley and Co-Chair Lara Trump criticized the commission's actions as detrimental to public trust in the electoral process, asserting that the lack of Republican poll workers reflects a broader issue of partisan interference in elections. The Detroit Election Commission has yet to respond to requests for comment regarding the lawsuit.