The state of Michigan is encouraging residents to report one another to authorities in a misguided attempt to stop the flow of so-called “election misinformation.”
Michigan’s Democrat Secretary of State, Jocelyn Benson, is behind the campaign, and a document from her office lists an email address people can use to report their neighbors. Residents are being instructed to keep an eye on those around them and report anything they see or hear that they believe is “misinformation” – and they are even being told to include an image if they can.
An “Election misinformation” document published by the state’s Bureau of Elections lists so-called threats to a “healthy democracy.” They claim that misinformation about voters’ rights and the election process could pose a serious threat to the security of elections.
The state is also instructing residents to look for media outlets that print “true” stories, which sounds like a code word for stories that support their preferred narratives. For example, they list the left-leaning fact check sites Snopes, FactCheck.org and PolitiFact as “trusted, verified nonpartisan information” providers, along with Michigan’s own “SOSFactCheck” site. The Bureau claims it can debunk so-called conspiracy theories and verify the “accuracy of political speech” in addition to debates, statements, ads and interviews.
Resident receives cease and desist letter threatening prosecution
Michigan is the same state whose Attorney General recently threatened to prosecute a resident for spreading what they deem “misleading or false” election information. This is according to a letter received by Ross Township resident Kerry Lynn Elieff after posting concerns on June 12 about changes to polling locations.
The “cease and desist” letter was dated July 24, and it contained a threat of prosecution from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. It stated: “It has come to the attention of our office that you have spread misleading or false election information regarding polling locations in Ross Township through on-line sites.”
The letter warns: “[Y]ou are hereby ordered to CEASE AND DESIST the use of online platforms to continue spreading false or misleading information regarding the Ross Township polling locations. Failure to comply with this notice may result in criminal prosecution.”
Elieff told The Federalist: “I was just thinking, ‘They’re going to prosecute me for this?’ They’re probably hearing one side of the story.”
The letter also instructed her to “remove” any “false or misleading information” from “all platforms.” She then removed her posts in which she had expressed concerns about local officials changing polling stations without meeting the legal requirement to inform the public at least 60 days in advance.
The letter claimed that she violated a statute that bans any “attempt, by means of bribery, menace, or other corrupt means or device, either directly or indirectly, to influence an elector in giving his or her vote, or to deter the elector from, or interrupt the elector in giving his or her vote at any election held in this state.”
She complained that she was not given a chance to clarify her statement and was not provided with contact information to discuss the intention of her post.
She believes that someone who lives in the township who disagrees with her political views reported her as part of Benson’s recent campaign to “hold people accountable for spreading lies about elections.”
Michigan Fair Elections Chair Patrice Johnson believes this is only the beginning of a much broader censorship effort aimed at silencing political dissent.
“This is trying to silence people before the election. It’s clearly trying to stifle civic involvement,” she said. “It’s like the next generation of 1984, coming here.”
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