When Elon Musk asked Democrat Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson about the state’s swollen voter rolls, she tried to debunk his claim — using false data.
“Michigan has more registered voters than eligible citizens!? Is that true @CommunityNotes?” Musk asked on Oct. 19.
“Let’s be clear: @elonmusk is spreading dangerous disinformation,” Benson replied. “Musk is pushing a misleading number that includes 1.2 million inactive records slated for removal in accordance with the law.”
She took an apparent victory lap, stopping by CNN to discuss “our work to empower every American to see through the noise and know the truth about our elections.”
The exchange between Musk and Benson went on for several days.
“Are you removing the ineligible voters before the election? YES or NO,” Musk replied to Benson on Oct. 21. The secretary responded with information from her office’s website, claiming the state maintains voter rolls as necessary.
While initially responding to Musk, Benson claimed Michigan has 7.9 million “citizens of voting age.” But Tom Fitton, president of conservative watchdog Judicial Watch, pointed out this is false.
FACT CHECK: @JudicialWatch analyzed the numbers: Democratic Michigan Secretary of State @JocelynBenson published false information below about her state’s voting rolls, which Michigan has failed to properly maintain under law for years. The State’s own data shows that it has… https://t.co/qT8VG8iL0s
— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) October 21, 2024
Benson apparently posted the voting age population — which includes all adults, not just citizens — as citizens of voting age. According
