Michigan's Macomb County clerk Anthony Forlini said that a review of jury duty records uncovered noncitizens in state databases, including individuals who appeared in Michigan voter registration records.
"Macomb County is Michigan's third largest county," Forlini said in a release. "The fact we have discovered this egregious flaw indicates to me there may be a much larger issue throughout the State that needs investigation."
Forlini said his office identified 239 noncitizens who were pulled for possible jury service with a local judicial circuit court over just four months.
After reviewing those names, Forlini said his office cross-checked the records against the state's Qualified Voter File and found that 14 of the noncitizens had been registered to vote at some point.
Forlini, a Republican candidate for Michigan secretary of state, said the discovery points to significant problems with how state databases are managed.
He said Michigan jury pools are generated through random selection from the state's driver's license database, which does not consistently verify citizenship.
County administrators said that the process resulted in individuals who are legally ineligible for jury service receiving a summons.
Forlini said that discovery led his office to a deeper internal review comparing jury pool records with the Qualified Voter File.
Among the 14 noncitizens who appeared in voter registration records, at least one record indicated possible participation in multiple elections.
Forlini said, "The secretary of state's office under Jocelyn Benson should have caught this years ago. This reeks of malfeasance and mismanagement. As soon as I am elected to secretary of state, I will investigate to the fullest degree possible. This simply cannot be allowed."
Forlini told The Detroit News that potential jurors are selected from among the state's pool of driver's license applicants, which is maintained by the Michigan Department of State.
"Frequently, noncitizens slip through because citizenship was not flagged in the secretary of State database," Forlini said.
A spokesperson for the Michigan Department of State said the office has encouraged Forlini to submit his findings to the Bureau of Elections for investigation.
"Only U.S. citizens who are Michigan residents, are 18 years old by Election Day, and are not currently serving a sentence in jail or prison can vote in Michigan elections," spokesperson Cheri Hardmon said.
Forlini said the driver's license application process relies heavily on self-reported information and automatically registers applicants to vote unless they opt out.
"The problem is, if you look at voter registration, it's just one question, one checkbox that says, ‘Are you a U.S. citizen?' and if you check yes, you're in," Forlini said.
He is urging the state to cross-check driver's license applicants against federal noncitizen databases, arguing that other states already use the system.
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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