Michigan Democrats face recount push as Republican Party mocks voting mess

Michigan Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel is backing a growing push to recount all votes cast during the state’s Democratic convention, admitting her own votes were improperly tallied.

The Michigan Democratic Party held its convention on Sunday, April 19, where more than 6,000 delegates gathered to vote on candidates to represent the party for statewide offices, including secretary of state, attorney general and university board of trustees members, in the general election in November. State Sen. Sylvia Santana called for an independent audit of the convention’s elections, alleging an investigation she led found “material errors” with the voting systems.

“I learned in the days immediately following the convention that the Election Buddy app did not correctly attribute my votes or my congressional district, and I immediately notified the impacted candidates and the state party chair,” Nessel wrote in a statement, affirming state Sen. Sylvia Santana’s calls for an independent audit.

But in her statement, Nessel shut down any effort to draw a “false equivalency” between failures in the Democratic Party’s internal voting systems and statewide elections.

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Attorney Dana Nessel announces her bid for Michigan attorney general in Braun Court, Ann Arbor, on Aug. 15, 2017, surrounded by her family. (Mandi Wright/Detroit Free Press/Tribune News Service)

“Those who traffic in election conspiracies will seek any and every opportunity to undermine public confidence in our elections, and while an audit is warranted in this circumstance, these results have no bearings on the veracity of state-run elections,” Nessel wrote in the statement.

The internal drama within the Michigan Democratic Party comes as Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and her administration continue to push back against a Justice Department request for Wayne County’s 2024 voter data. The request from the Trump administration is part of a broader probe into alleged voter fraud in the county, highlighting concerns over election integrity.

Santana, who lost her bid to be a member of the Michigan State University Board of Trustees, filed a 53-page complaint about the convention’s voting process, alleging that 200 individuals cast votes remotely, which is prohibited under the convention’s rules. Cathy Albro, a former U.S. House candidate, had previously told The Detroit News that she voted in the convention’s electronic voting system from her home.

Santana’s investigation also found 302 voters who were not on the master voter list, and that 208 voters were registered to the same number with at least one other voter. The investigation also alleged votes being incorrectly tallied or not tallied at all.

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald, who was vying to be the state’s top law enforcer, lost to Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit for the party’s attorney general nomination by a 59% to 41% vote. She took to Facebook to urge an independent audit of the election, backing Santana’s complaint.

“After reviewing the results of the MDP Endorsement Convention, it became clear that votes were incorrectly recorded, people voted who were not onsite, and some votes were not recorded at all,” McDonald posted on Facebook. “I strongly support Senator Santana’s request for an independent audit, and urge my Democratic colleagues across the state to support it as well. It is critical that every voter and every campaign have confidence in the vote.”

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Michigan’s 2nd District State Senator Sylvia Santana speaks during a session at the State Capitol in Lansing, Michigan. (Bill Pugliano / Getty Images)

The Michigan Democratic Party said in a statement to Fox News Digital that all Democratic candidates who participated in the party’s endorsement convention have until the end of May 4 to submit their appeals, but said it will not comment on the specifics of those appeals.

“Pursuant to our rules and bylaws, appeals are reviewed through an independent process conducted by an Appeals Committee,” a spokesperson for the Michigan Democratic Party said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “The Committee will review submitted appeals and determine next steps. We are committed to following the appeals process and ensuring it is fair and independent.”

Meanwhile, the Michigan Republican Party is criticizing the Democratic Party over allegations of voter fraud.

Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald advises the prosecutor handling the Apalachee High School shooting case, saying “it’s not easy.” (Fox News)

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“Losing candidates are starting to take legal action against the Democrat Party, claiming the election were STOLEN from them after an investigation revealed that hundreds of ineligible voters took part in their recent endorsement convention,” MI GOP posted on X. “Democrats can’t even secure their own internal elections. What a mess!”

Fox News Digital reached out to McDonald, Santana, and Savit for comment.