Shocker: Michigan review debunks GOP’s latest noncitizen voting conspiracy 

A state investigation has unraveled the latest noncitizen voting conspiracy theory pushed by Michigan Republicans. 

New findings revealed this week delivered a decisive blow to claims of widespread noncitizen voting in Macomb County. 

Michigan election officials concluded that the alarming allegations — amplified by GOP operatives as evidence of a broken voter registration system — were based on misinterpreted data and exaggerated far beyond the facts. The findings directly undercut efforts to use the episode to advance stricter voting rules and fuel attacks on Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, the leading Democratic candidate for governor.

The controversy began earlier this month when Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini, a Republican candidate for secretary of state, claimed his office had uncovered a serious flaw in Michigan’s voter rolls. Forlini said county officials identified 239 people who had claimed to be noncitizens to excuse themselves from jury duty and then cross-checked those names against the voter file, finding at least 14 who were registered to vote.

“The fact we have discovered this egregious flaw, indicates to me that there may be a much larger issue throughout the State that needs investigation,” Forlini wrote.

Those claims quickly spread through right-wing media and anti-voting networks. Conservative activist Scott Presler falsely asserted that Benson “has allegedly allowed for non-citizens to register to vote in Macomb County, Michigan,” while other activists framed the findings as proof that Michigan’s elections were vulnerable to widespread fraud.

But a detailed review by the Michigan Bureau of Elections paints a far less alarming  picture.

State election officials examined the 15 voter records Forlini identified, comparing them against Michigan driver records and the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database, which was originally designed to verify immigrant eligibility for federal benefits.

The review found that three of the 15 people were U.S. citizens and eligible voters. Four had already been removed from the voter rolls before Forlini made his announcement. Four others require additional documentation to confirm their status.

Only four people were identified as apparent noncitizens, and election officials said those voters will be contacted to verify eligibility — with registrations canceled if they fail to respond. 

The review also dismantles the most inflammatory claim — that noncitizens were actively voting. 

Of the 15 individuals flagged, only three had ever voted. One was a confirmed U.S. citizen. Another last voted in 2018 and had their registration canceled in 2022. A third, who voted in 2024, remains under review.

In the 2024 Michigan general election, more than 5.7 million ballots were cast.

Benson warned from the outset that the allegations were likely the result of misread data rather than evidence of widespread fraud.

“Our department is looking into the specific allegations, because we take any allegations of ineligible residents voting very seriously,” Benson told Democracy Docket earlier this month. “It’s not clear that the data that the county clerk is referring to has been clearly and rigorously analyzed to ensure the allegations that he’s making have any merit to it.”

Election experts echoed that concern, noting that jury duty records are an especially unreliable source for identifying noncitizens. Potential jurors are drawn from driver’s license records, which include lawful noncitizens who are eligible to drive but not to vote or serve on juries. In addition, jury excuse forms rely on self-reporting — meaning people may misstate their status to avoid jury service.

“It is much more likely that these people are committing fraud on the courts with regard to sitting as jurors, than fraud on elections,” David Becker, the executive director of the Center for Election Innovation & Research and a former Justice Department attorney, recently told Democracy Docket. “And to release this information without actually trying to see whether or not the jury lists are inaccurate, or the voter lists are inaccurate, is pretty irresponsible — and obviously for political purposes.”

The state’s latest findings align with broader evidence showing that noncitizen voting in Michigan is exceedingly rare. A different statewide review released in April 2025 also found widespread voting by noncitizens practically nonexistent.

Despite that record, the Macomb County claims were quickly folded into a broader narrative pushed by anti-voting groups seeking to impose stricter voter registration requirements. Similar arguments have been used nationwide to advocate for strict proof-of-citizenship mandates and other barriers that voting rights groups say would disenfranchise eligible voters.

“One of the biggest challenges of our time is the devolution of how people are getting accurate information,” Benson said. “And whether it’s the loss of investment in local media or just a number of different things, it’s becoming harder and harder and more difficult for citizens to get access to reliable information on anything. And we’re seeing, as a result, a lot of conspiracy theories grow because of that.”

Matt Cohen contributed to this reporting.