The effort comes after a successful campaign in North Carolina resulting in Cornel West appearing on the November ballot
The Fair Election Fund, a national election integrity watchdog group, today announced a six-figure paid media campaign targeting Michigan’s Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson for her efforts to keep Cornel West off the ballot in Michigan. The campaign will include TV ads, billboard trucks, and projections on buildings throughout Michigan with messages about how Secretary Benson is undermining the rights of thousands of voters who signed a petition to include their preferred candidate on the ballot.
Secretary Benson recently disqualified West despite his campaign submitting far above the state’s required 12,000 signatures to be on the ballot. The ad that will run in Michigan says:
“In North Carolina, the Fair Election Fund fought the State Board of Elections when they tried to control who’s on the ballot, and we won.
Now, we’re bringing the fight for democracy to Michigan.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is taking a page out of the North Carolina playbook – and is blocking Kamala Harris’ competition from the ballot.
Our democracy, our voting rights are on the line.
But the Fair Election Fund has preserved them before.
Help us do it again. Call Jocelyn Benson and tell her to stop suppressing your vote.”
Doug Collins, Fair Election Fund Senior Advisor and Former US Congressman from Georgia, released the following statement:
“Democrat state election officials are making a dangerous habit of hypocritically suppressing voting rights and blocking candidates that they know are a threat to the Harris-Walz ticket in their states. The Fair Election Fund will continue to fight this ballot interference scheme and stand up for the rights of voters across the country.”
Democrats in Michigan are taking the same steps as the Democrats on the North Carolina State Board of Elections in their unsuccessful attempt to block Cornel West from the ballot in North Carolina. The Fair Election fund spent over $375,000 on a paid media campaign fighting to keep Cornel West on the ballot, and the Board of Elections decision was eventually overturned by the Eastern District Court.
BACKGROUND
- The Fair Election Fund is leading the investigation into ActBlue and the Biden-Harris campaign’s reported fundraising numbers. The probe found over 60,000 potential cases where individuals listed as small dollar donors on the Biden-Harris campaign’s recent FEC report did not recall making the donation that was listed in their name.
- The Fair Election Fund has turned over the data to five Republican Attorneys General who will continue investigating ActBlue’s suspicious reporting and its compliance with state laws.
- In July, The Fair Election Fund awarded $50,000 in bounties to whistleblowers with first-hand knowledge of voter fraud or election administration issues in Michigan, Connecticut, Georgia, and North Carolina.
The Fair Election Fund is a watchdog group that was formed in May and will spend over $5 million in 2024 to shine a light on fraud and abuse still occurring in our election system. Those who expose wrongdoing could be compensated from the Fair Election Fund’s whistleblower protection fund. Those who want to contact the Fair Election Fund regarding potential election fraud can share their story at thefairelectionfund.com or call 301-388-8733.