“Many fear that Trump will claim fraud”

 

Tina Magnergård Bjers/TT

Published 06.10

       

       Kate Mason is a lawyer, democracy activist, and head of the labor organization Michigan Labor                 Foundation. Photo: Christine Olsson/TT

President Donald Trump has barred European election observers and attempted to restrict mail-in voting ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. Within certain groups, there is a growing fear that Trump—much like in 2020—will allege election fraud.

“People have vivid memories of the storming of the Capitol on January 6th,” says lawyer Kate Mason, who works on election security in Michigan.

The polls had just closed following the 2020 presidential election. After a long day, Kate Mason was getting ready to have a drink in front of the TV when her phone rang. She was ordered to the TCF Center convention hall, where the vote count for Wayne County—which includes Detroit—was underway.

“I ended up staying for over 20 hours. It was dramatic, to say the least,” says Mason, who is now the executive director of the Michigan Labor Foundation, an umbrella organization for labor unions that also has a mandate to support democracy.

Preparing for scenarios

The events in Detroit became historic. Initially, Donald Trump was in the lead, but as mail-in ballots began to be counted, Joe Biden took the advantage. Trump supporters gathered at the hall, banging on the glass windows and chanting, “Stop the count.”

For a long time, Detroit was at the center of Trump’s false allegations of election fraud. Among other things, claims were circulated that tens of thousands of fake ballots had been smuggled into the convention hall and that deceased individuals had cast votes. Several lawsuits were filed in court—but no evidence of fraud could be established.

It is against this backdrop that Kate Mason is now conducting training sessions on elections and democracy for union members.

"The atmosphere is tense. We focus on scenarios such as 'what do we do if the FBI shows up to seize ballots?' or 'what happens if Congress refuses to certify the results?'" she explains.

On Election Day this Tuesday, the Michigan Labor Foundation—like several other organizations—will have hundreds of volunteers stationed both outside and inside polling places. Furthermore, they are operating a command center where suspected irregularities can be reported.

Trump has sought to pass legislation restricting mail-in voting, and Pete Hegseth has ordered the military to protect the election from foreign interference. Trump has also chosen not to invite election observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to this year’s election. This concerns Mason.

"It sends a signal that we intend to do something 'wrong.' But I know that many eyes will be on this election," says Mason.

Democracy activist and former social worker Sara Gleicher is involved in Democrat Abdul El-Sayed’s Senate campaign in Michigan. She notes that election security is currently a topic of discussion throughout her neighborhood in Detroit.

"People here are afraid that ICE agents might be deployed during the election—for instance, to seize ballots," she says.

"Many fear that if the Democrats win, Trump will claim there was fraud."

Facts 

Election Security and Michigan

In the United States, elections are organized at the state level; in effect, 50 separate elections are taking place. The elected official in each state responsible for determining election rules is known as the Secretary of State. In Michigan, this position is held by Democrat Jocelyn Benson—who is also running for governor this year.

Michigan allows two types of election observers: "Election Challengers" and "Poll Watchers." Neither group is permitted to approach or speak to voters, engage in campaigning, or make any recordings.

Election Challengers: These individuals are trained and accredited by a political party or an interest group. They cannot be candidates or election officials, but they must be registered voters. They are permitted inside the polling place, where they may formally challenge a person’s eligibility to vote or raise concerns regarding potential procedural errors. Political parties are limited to a maximum of two challengers per polling location, and only one may issue a challenge at any given time.

Poll Watchers: This role is open to the general public, though candidates in the election are excluded. Poll watchers are permitted to be in the "public" areas of a polling location, but they are not allowed to challenge the proceedings taking place.

Sources: Brennan Center for Justice, Election Overtime, Michigan.gov