Detroit was the target of election misinformation in 2020, and now that early voting is underway across the country, social media users are closely monitoring the city’s election activity.

Some users made baseless claims that three weeks before Election Day there was already evidence of fraud.

“Detroit is the worst-run city in the United States, but it has already reached a 40% (absentee) vote return rate,” the conservative account X End Wokeness wrote in an October 14 X post. The conservative Hodgetwins account reposted on October 15 with the caption: “They’re already stealing from Michigan.”

(Screenshot from X)

As of October 15, Detroit had issued 100,470 ballots and received 41,235, a return rate of 41%. This is compared to the last general election, where on October 12, 2020, Detroit issued 132,879 ballots and received 34,735, a return rate of 26%.

The Michigan Department of State released figures by jurisdiction for absentee ballot requests, ballots issued and ballots received. PolitiFact calculated return rates by dividing the number of ballots received by the number of ballots issued.

Experts told PolitiFact that this higher return rate is not evidence of voter fraud. They said the return rate is not surprising and is likely due to multiple factors, including expanded access to mail-in voting, greater awareness and greater enthusiasm among voters to vote for or against candidates or measurements.

Matt Friedman, a spokesman for the nonpartisan voter information campaign program Detroit Votes, who is authorized to speak on behalf of the Detroit city clerk’s office, said the city has reminded voters to submit their ballots vote as soon as possible. A city newsletter said: “It is critical that Detroit voters who received mail-in ballots return them as soon as possible. The Department of Elections expects a high volume of mail-in ballots to be processed for the presidential election.

He also pointed to an increase in the number of drop boxes in Detroit. There are now 35 sites, compared to 30 in 2020.

Friedman also said the technology for accepting mail-in ballots has been improved through a system called Relia-Vote, which allows for faster processing of mail-in ballots.

“The system works as designed,” Friedman said.

The Michigan Department of State said that statewide, as of Oct. 15, more than 2.1 million registered voters had requested an absentee ballot. More than 672,000 ballots were received, for a return rate of 32%. PolitiFact calculated this return rate by dividing the number of ballots received by the number of ballots requested.

Using the same measures, the return rate was higher during the same period in 2020, when 34% of absentee voters returned their absentee ballots.

Paul Manson, research director at the Election & Voting Information Center, a nonpartisan academic research center, said that in 2020, Michigan issued absentee ballot requests to all registered voters as part of its response to the COVID-19. “This year, if the voter was not on the permanently absentee list, they would have to take more steps” to receive an absentee ballot, he said. “This probably distorts the denominator” between 2020 and 2024.

Barbara Smith Warner, executive director of the National Vote At Home Institute, an organization that advocates for increased access and confidence in mail-in voting systems, said voters are now “much more familiar with mail-in voting and voting at home.

Michigan implemented “no reason” mail-in voting in 2018; This is the second general election in which Michigan voters can request an absentee ballot without giving a reason. Before 2018, Michigan voters could only request an absentee ballot if they met one of six criteria, such as being at least 60 years old or in jail awaiting trial.

Michigan voters passed Proposition 2 in 2022, which expanded early voting and mail-in voting rights. Voters can now request a permanent absentee voter list and receive absentee ballots for each future election.

The University of Florida Election Lab’s early voting dashboard shows 25 Michigan counties reported absentee ballot return rates above 40% as of Oct. 16. Wayne County, where Detroit is located, reported a 39% return rate.

The higher return rates than 2020 could reflect voting changes in Michigan, said Paul Gronke, director of the Election and Voting Information Center.

“But this is not at all proof that an election was ‘stolen,'” Gronke said. “In fact, these ‘early’ reports of mail-in ballot returns would be a foolish way to try to steal an election since the entire process is transparent to outside observers.”

Gronke said ballot return rates can also signal enthusiasm for voting for or against candidates, contests or ballot measures.

Tammy Patrick, program manager for the National Association of Election Officials, also known as the Election Center, said that in 2020, a shift in voting behavior showed voters acted quickly, “with more requests and returns earlier than the historical trend. “.

“It doesn’t surprise me, or worry me, that voters will act quickly again in 2024,” Patrick said.

Our decision

An article from X said Detroit’s 2024 mail-in ballot return rate is evidence of voter fraud.

Detroit reported an absentee ballot return rate of 41% as of October 15, compared to 26% during the same period in 2020.

Experts say this does not constitute evidence of fraud.

Detroit has made multiple efforts to improve absentee voting systems, including increasing the number of drop boxes, reminding absentee voters to submit their ballots early, and improving technology for processing absentee ballots. .

New Michigan election laws have made mail-in voting more accessible since 2022. Voters can request to be added to the permanent absentee voter list in order to receive mail-in ballots for each future election.

We rate this statement as false.