Michigan’s Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) responded with an "explainer" to Elon Musk’s simple yes-or-no question about voter registration in the Wolverine State.
The two have been sparring on social media since Musk highlighted over the weekend how Michigan “STILL has 100,000 more registered voters than eligible citizens,” a claim Benson refuted as “dangerous disinformation.”
“Here are the facts: There aren’t more voters than citizens in Michigan,” she wrote. “There are 7.2 million active registered voters and 7.9 citizens of voting age in our state. Musk is pushing a misleading number that includes 1.2 million inactive records slated for removal in accordance with the law.”
Musk, in turn, accused her of “blatantly lying to the public.”
Jocelyn Michelle Benson, shame on you for blatantly lying to the public!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 20, 2024
You only plan to remove the ineligible voters AFTER this election.
That necessarily means that there are far more people registered to vote than there eligible voters. https://t.co/PuHjSfj1o4
That prompted another response from Benson:
Hi @elonmusk 👋🏼
— Jocelyn Benson (@JocelynBenson) October 20, 2024
In Michigan we tell the truth and we follow the law.
I suggest you do the same.
For everyone else: https://t.co/qMhferLiUh https://t.co/bGb51IAysR
Musk then asked her a simple follow-up question: "Are you removing the ineligible voters before the election? YES or NO."
Benson responded with an "explainer" instead, which critics viewed as a roundabout way of saying 'no.'
Hi again @elonmusk ! 👋🏼
— Jocelyn Benson (@JocelynBenson) October 21, 2024
Thanks for asking! Here’s an explainer of all we do to ensure our voter registration database is accurate. https://t.co/wOA1wqc0OJ https://t.co/SL8A6t8XSP pic.twitter.com/4ZSqRLxOKA
So you’re not removing them before the election?
— Ken Morin (@KenMorin111) October 21, 2024
Per your snippet here, those voters slated for removal can still vote in this election.