Lawmakers in the Michigan Senate passed a bill that would add restrictions to the recount process in the hotly contested swing state.
Senate Bill 603 passed in the chamber 20-18 on Tuesday, with Republicans in the state Senate opposing the legislation to rewrite the recount process for elections in the state. One of the main changes in the bill is clarifying that a recount is meant to search for errors, not fraud or illegal votes.
“A recount is not an investigation or an audit of the conduct of an election, and a recount does not assess the qualifications of electors participating in an election or the manner in which ballots are applied for or issued to electors,” the bill said.
Democratic state Sen. Stephanie Chang, one of the bill’s lead backers, touted the clarification on Wednesday, alongside other changes made to the bill.
“We make clear that a recount is a simple retabulation of the ballots — NOT an investigation or an audit. We have other laws and procedures for that. The bills also modernize the fees for recount petitions so that clerks can actually cover the cost of recounts!” Chang said in a post on X.
“All in all, these bills bring greater clarity to our recount law, will help ensure that voters’ voices are heard and strengthen our democratic process,” she added in a subsequent post.
Republicans spoke out against the bill, specifically the measures tightening when candidates may request a recount.
“The bills would take away the rights of an aggrieved candidate if there is fraud or other illegal activity or ballot tampering in an election,” Republican state Sen. Ruth Johnson said on the Senate floor, according to Michigan Public.
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The measure passed by the Democrat-led Senate now heads to the state House where it also faces a Democrat-controlled chamber.
While Michigan was not the epicenter of election challenges in the 2020 election, recent polling has indicated the race between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will be close.