GOP will appeal dismissed Flint election challenger lawsuit
(The Center Square) – A Genesee County judge dismissed a GOP lawsuit that asked the court to order Flint to hire more GOP election workers. The GOP says it will appeal.
The Michigan Republican Party and Republican National Committee sued the Flint Board of Election Commissioners, saying they lack an appropriate number of Republican election inspectors.
The GOP claim that of 682 election challengers hired, only 120, or 17.2%, are Republican. The lawsuit said the “[b]oard has failed to satisfy its clear legal duty to appoint an equal number of election inspectors from each major political party to each election precinct and each absent voter counting board.”
The plaintiffs argue that the defendants are violating Michigan law, which mandates that each election board “shall appoint an equal number, as nearly as possible, of election inspectors in each election precinct from each major political party.”
Circuit Court Judge Mark Latchana ruled Wednesday that the lawsuit lacked standing to challenge but did not rule on the case merits.
MIGOP Communications Director Gustavo Portela said Flint has more than 80% Democrat inspectors and over 90% Democrat inspectors for the Absentee Vote Counting Boards.
“This is unacceptable,” Portela said in a statement. “The Republican party sued to enforce this provision and Flint hired Gretchen Whitmer’s counsel to defend them. Today, a Whitmer appointed Judge agreed with Whitmer’s counsel that the Republican Party doesn’t have standing to litigate and defend Republicans. This is wrong and will be appealed.”
Flint City Attorney William Kim called the lawsuit “frivolous.”
“We’re glad that Judge Latchana agreed with our argument and dismissed the case filed against the City of Flint by the Republican National Committee and the Michigan Republican Party,” Kim said in a statement. “Frivolous lawsuits used to create political theatre have no place in our judicial system. Interim City Clerk Davina Donahue is focused on ensuring that Flint’s voters can fully exercise their right to vote now through November 8.”
The plaintiffs asked the court to order the City of Flint Board of Election Commissioners to comply with Michigan election law by reallocating at least 20 Republican election inspectors from precinct polling places to the city’s Absent Voter Counting Boards, reallocating at least 25 Republican election inspectors as chairpersons, by recruiting additional Republican election inspectors, or to cease accepting Democrat election inspectors.
