FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: (248) 987-8701
info@huwaida4umich.com
Misconduct in Michigan Democratic Party UMich Regent Race
Huwaida for UMich Regent Campaign submits complaint and calls for transparency
LANSING, MI - August 28, 2024 - Substantial concerns remain regarding transparency, voter suppression, error in vote tabulation, and procedural compliance related to the University of Michigan Board of Regents election, which took place at the Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) Nominating Convention held on August 24, 2024, in Lansing, Michigan. Student-backed candidate Huwaida Arraf has raised several issues to Democratic Party leaders that call into question the integrity of the electoral process and the announced results. Arraf has repeatedly reached out to MDP leaders, encouraging them to take action to restore voter confidence by committing to full transparency. Today, she filed a complaint with the MDP Appeals Committee requesting swift resolution prior to the Michigan Secretary of State deadline of September 6 for presidential ballot approval.
Key concerns include:
Denial of observer access: Despite repeated requests, Huwaida’s Campaign was not allowed to have a challenger present to observe the vote tabulation. Even Huwaida herself was denied access to observe the process, while other parties were reportedly allowed in and out of the tabulation room. Typically, candidates and campaign staff are welcomed backstage, and a representative from each campaign is allowed to oversee the tabulation. During this convention, other candidates, their families, union leadership, and current University of Michigan Regent Paul Brown were all welcomed backstage, protected by security and police. Meanwhile, Huwaida and her campaign staff were barred by security and MDP staff from entering the vote tabulation area.
Lack of transparency: The Campaign has repeatedly requested the raw, unaltered data from the Voatz system, which produces an emailed receipt, a physical ticket to be tabulated, and a stored immutable backup for each vote cast, in order to run an independent audit. However, this data has not yet been provided. Instead, only the data altered by MDP staff was provided to the Campaign. The final tabulation of votes is dependent on a geographic and population-based weighted formula applied after the voting is completed. Therefore, we continue to request the raw and completely unedited Voatz data file that was turned over to the MDP when voting closed at 4:40 p.m., including time, geolocation, name, district, and county for each vote cast.
Data discrepancies: Analysis of the provided data has revealed multiple irregularities, including:
More individual voters recorded than the announced number of delegates properly credentialed to vote at the Nominating Convention.
Incorrect county and congressional district information for several voters, which skew the weighted outcome.
Voter suppression: Delegates reported being subjected to obstacles in acquiring voting credentials. MDP officers and staff repeatedly provided inaccurate information to Campaign staff and to voting delegates including providing the wrong deadline for signature submission, and telling voters they could vote from home, which is explicitly prohibited by the MDP Call to Convention and convention rules. Additionally, instances of delegate harassment, and stealing of Huwaida’s nominating petitions were reported by volunteers.
"These irregularities raise serious questions about the integrity of the election process," said Hind Omar, a spokesperson for Huwaida's campaign. "We are calling for an immediate halt to the certification of announced results pending a release of the raw, unedited Voatz app data, and a monitored recount."
Huwaida’s campaign has reached out to the Michigan Democratic Party to express its concerns about the process and report the numerous errors that it found in the data supplied by the MDP. The Campaign has indicated its desire to work with the MDP to address its concerns, as well as its readiness to pursue legal action if these concerns are not addressed promptly and transparently by MDP officials. MDP officials have not yet responded to these requests.
Huwaida commented: “Hundreds of University of Michigan students and their friends and families showed up to participate in the Michigan Democratic Party Nominating Convention this past weekend, comprising an overwhelming majority of the delegates at the convention. They brought with them spirit, energy, and a desire to meaningfully engage in the democratic process with the hopes of being heard. These students should have been enthusiastically welcomed by the Party. Instead, they left feeling disillusioned by a flawed process and lack of transparency that seemingly undermined their vote. The MDP has a chance to rectify this and I hope they do.”
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