# Widespread fraud found by Michigan Elections Office!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-fraud-found-by-michigan-elections-office/965197>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [May 27, 2022, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-fraud-found-by-michigan-elections-office/965197 "2022-05-27T08:04:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 11\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2022, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-fraud-found-by-michigan-elections-office/965197/21 "2022-06-06T15:42:35Z")

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Not worth a new thread IMHO, but WI governor candidate Tim Michels also has some issues with his nominating papers (needed to put both his voting location and mailing address.

> **[Democrats challenge Republican Tim Michels' nominating petitions in race for...](https://www.wpr.org/democrats-challenge-republican-tim-michels-nominating-petitions-race-wisconsin-governor)**
>
> Wisconsin Democrats are seeking to block Republican Tim Michels from getting his name on the ballot in the governor's race, saying Michels failed to follow the law when he circulated his nominating petitions. The complaint comes days after Michels...

Ordinarily I’d say this is a minor oops but since Mr Michels is an 'election laws have to be followed to the letter" type of person, by his own standards\* he did not follow the letter an is not eligable.

Brian  
\*yes, I know hypocrisy is also his standard

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**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2022, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-fraud-found-by-michigan-elections-office/965197/22 "2022-06-06T16:07:16Z")

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I’m not sure what any of that has to do with the point @Peter_Morris was raising. Yes, candidates need to provide a large number of nominating signatures. What’s illegal about different candidates asking the same set of people to provide their respective nominations?

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**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2022, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-fraud-found-by-michigan-elections-office/965197/23 "2022-06-06T16:53:58Z")

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I think what they’re saying is that 10-20 people (or so, depending on table size) were passing the petitions from hand to hand and signing _different people’s names each time it came around._ So instead of 15,000 signatures from 15,000 different people, they had 13,000 from different people and 2000 from a set of … however many there were.

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2022, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-fraud-found-by-michigan-elections-office/965197/24 "2022-06-06T18:50:51Z")

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> [@psychonaut](#):
>
> What’s illegal about different candidates asking the same set of people to provide their respective nominations?

It is not illegal, but it is suspicious, and examination of the forms raised further questions including more substantial indications of fraud.

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**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2022, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-fraud-found-by-michigan-elections-office/965197/25 "2022-06-06T19:01:04Z")

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In general, the Republican party likes to accuse the Dems of doing that the GOP is already doing.

I suggest we start checking basements under MAGA owned pizza places,

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**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2022, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-fraud-found-by-michigan-elections-office/965197/26 "2022-06-07T00:03:59Z")

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> [@DrDeth](#):
>
> I suggest we start checking basements under MAGA owned pizza places,

We don’t have to, we already know about Matt Gaetz.

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**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2022, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-fraud-found-by-michigan-elections-office/965197/27 "2022-09-09T00:32:53Z")

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> **[GOP Officials Caught Instructing Poll Workers To 'Secretly' Break Rules:...](https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/michigan-gop-encourages-poll-workers-break-rules-leaked-video-1234588705/)**
>
> Republican officials in Wayne County, Michigan, instructed poll workers to break election rules, video obtained by CNN shows.

> [@](#):
>
> On the leaked call, EIF founder and former state Sen. Patrick Colbeck claims that “none of the constraints that they’re putting on this are legal.” His co-host, GOP county chairwoman Cheryl Costantino, advises the workers to “just hide” their cell phones, and to “hide a small pad and a small pen or something like that because you need to take accurate notes.” Costantino dismissed concerns from attendees that they’d be thrown out or removed from their posts for breaking the rules.

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**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-fraud-found-by-michigan-elections-office/965197/28 "2022-09-12T16:57:30Z")

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They can’t even crime well, thankfully.

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**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-fraud-found-by-michigan-elections-office/965197/29 "2022-09-12T17:16:32Z")

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That’s the consequence of believing their own propaganda. They think that election fraud is so easy that the Democrats faked millions of votes with almost no effort, and no actual evidence being left around for Republicans to find. And hey, if it’s that easy to pull off, why bother worrying about small things like covering your ass? No one is ever going to catch them anyways!!

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-fraud-found-by-michigan-elections-office/965197/30 "2022-09-12T17:27:50Z")

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We’ve been watching some (minor?) voter fraud play out in Wisconsin.  
A guy decided he gets to contest the election and issued this statement:

> _Notice is hereby given that H.O.T. Government thru its President Harry Wait and Harry Wait as a Racine County resident challenge and contest the certification of Racine County’s Elections dated August 9th, 2022 for the following reasons and seek reconciliation of the ballots:_
> 
> _1. Absentee ballots are not verified nor secure due to proven vulnerabilities of ease of fraud in WEC “myvote”._

(plus 3 other reasons).

The city essentially told him to get lost but instead of getting lost, he wanted to “prove” how easy this is. He ordered absentee ballots for a bunch of city/state officials and then, more or less, turned himself in. Now he’s facing a bunch of election fraud charges.  
What I find funny is that he both broke the law and didn’t really prove anything in the process. Had he actually cast a votes as if he was those people and then when nothing became of it, he turned himself in, he’d be in more trouble, but he’d show how easy it is. But what he did is the equivalent is like throwing a brick through the front window of a bank and stealing a bunch of pens to prove how easy it is to rob a bank. He’d didn’t rob the bank, but he’d probably get charged with it.

So far, the Sheriff accidentally threw his support behind him

> Sheriff Christopher Schmaling admitted Wait asked if the sheriff would come immediately to arrest him. “Hell, no,” Schmaling responded.
> 
> He clarified later that is because criminal arrests take time.

Also

> Sen. Ron Johnson praised Harry Wait Tuesday, Aug. 16 and said he wouldn’t prosecute him for requesting ballots for others: “He’s a white hat hacker. He was trying to show a vulnerability. There was no malign intent to what he did. I appreciate what he did.”

I’m not entirely sure what to make out of this. ISTM that if there’s an obvious vulnerability, you’d want to bring it to someone’s attention. If he’s tried this multiple times, I can sorta understand. OTOH, ISTM if no one will listen, take it to the media and let them run with it.

Of course, fraud is fraud and he should face the consequences. I think it’s worth using him to make a point that we’re serious enough about this that you risk jail time even if you’re going to do this, even if you have no intention of doing anything malicious.

Here’s the most recent article on it:

> **[Wisconsin election fraud: judge, defendant spar; gag order issued](https://www.fox6now.com/news/wisconsin-election-fraud-man-charged-due-in-court-thursday)**
>
> 68-year-old Harry Wait of Union Grove has been charged with election fraud.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/widespread-fraud-found-by-michigan-elections-office/965197/31 "2022-09-12T17:44:59Z")

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> [@Joey\_P](#):
>
> Sen. Ron Johnson praised Harry Wait Tuesday, Aug. 16 and said he wouldn’t prosecute him for requesting ballots for others: “He’s a white hat hacker. He was trying to show a vulnerability. There was no malign intent to what he did. I appreciate what he did.”

A white hat hacker is a security professional you hire as a consultant to do penetration testing and other services, to improve your electronic security. It’s not some random person who breaks into your system illegally out of the goodness of their heart. That is a criminal.

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