State Rep. Matt Hall, of Marshall, issued the following statement after the state Auditor General released their findings from a performance audit for the Bureau of Elections. One finding showed discrepancies in addresses and death status, and that the risk of ineligible electors voting in Michigan could be decreased if identified and corrected:

“This non-partisan, independent audit was clear – we must shore up our laws to make sure dead people are not voting in our elections. These are reforms I have consistently called for – and I have worked to develop plans that improve Qualified Voter File recordkeeping, give county clerks more authority to remove dead people from lists, increase training for those overseeing our elections and other key measures that will help restore confidence in our elections system.

“The audit found 2,775 total votes cast by electors who died prior to election day for eight elections spanning from May 7, 2019 to the most recent general election in November 2020. Over 99 percent of this total voted absentee and 41 of these voters died 41 days or more before an election. The report also shows people who were under 18 voted. Voter identification laws I have supported would correct these issues.

“Every month, the state is required by law to check the death rolls to make sure people are being removed. The audit showed that clearly was not being done.

“The bureau also did not ensure clerks hand counted ballots for post-election audits, or even conducted an audit as required. They misleadingly reported county clerks completed all assigned audits with a full hand count. The report indicates Secretary Benson’s Bureau of Elections merely relied on verbal confirmation that clerks completed these audits, and it is absolutely unacceptable hand counts were not conducted as thoroughly as required by law.

“This is why I supported independent audits through the Auditor General regarding how the 2020 election was run. It’s important to learn from the past while providing accountability and clarity for the future. I would like to see these types of audits conducted on a compressed timeline prior to certification, so we can have key information in real-time. It is also unconscionable that Auditor General staff didn’t have access to physically review ballots. This revelation shows we need a much more transparent and thorough audit process with higher standards. If they are not complied with, it should cost people their jobs or lead to more severe repercussions including civil and potentially other penalties.

“It’s time we secure our elections on the front end and start taking verification of votes afterwards more seriously than Secretary Benson and Attorney General Dana Nessel apparently do.”