Michigan state Rep. Rachelle Smit discussed concerns about voter registration system errors during a legislative exchange, citing her previous experience as a township clerk and describing instances where deceased individuals appeared on voter rolls.

Smit’s remarks came during a discussion about election safeguards and potential inaccuracies in voter registration systems.

During the exchange, a witness acknowledged that errors can occur within complex administrative systems while emphasizing that safeguards exist to address them.

"Respectfully representative. Smit, you know fact that there are, in fact, some, some errors that happen in the system. Every system has errors, and it doesn't mean that there are not safeguards in place. There are safeguards, and you as a clerk, having done many registrations previously, understand that there's a process that you go through. And you can, you can ask NASA, there's no process that doesn't have some, some error inherent in the system," the witness said.

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Smit responded by agreeing that errors occur but argued that the examples she experienced demonstrated the need for improvements to Michigan’s voter registration system.

"Okay, thank you. And you're very right. When I was a clerk, there were lots of errors in the system. That's largely why I am here," Smit said.

Smit previously served as the clerk for Martin Township in Allegan County, Michigan.

During her time in that role, she said she personally encountered an instance where a deceased voter had been removed from the voter rolls but later reappeared.

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"I took off a dead voter in my Township, and guess what that dead voter was put back on, not by me, that was done by the Secretary of State's office," Smit said.

"So we need to do a lot of fixing here in our elections," she added.

Smit also referenced another case she said involved a deceased individual who had been registered to vote at a family property.

"When I was a clerk at Martin Township, there was a family member who, at one point was registered at my in laws home, and that family member had died nearly 20 years prior," Smit said.

According to Smit, the individual was added to voter rolls again during the 2020 election cycle.

"They were put on the rolls at 2020," she said.

Smit said the individual then received voting-related mail despite not being eligible.

"They were mailed voter application ballots without the authorization to do that," Smit said.

She explained that local clerks are typically responsible for managing voter registration records and correcting inaccuracies.

"That's the local clerk's job," Smit said.

Smit said she removed the individual from the rolls after discovering the issue.

"So I went in there, removed her from the voting rolls, because I know firsthand this family member is dead and deceased," Smit said.

However, she said the individual later reappeared on the voter rolls during a subsequent election cycle.

"Just this past election cycle. Lo and behold, that person was put back on the voter rolls," Smit said.

She also said documentation connected to the voter record had been mailed to the address.

"And has a card of the early voting location polling that I actually have and can produce," Smit said.

Smit concluded by saying the situation highlights problems she believes should be addressed in the election system.

"And that's a problem," she said.

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