Lansing, MI - Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, on election administration and security in the 2024 election cycle.
“These next eight months will define the future of our country and our democracy,” Secretary Benson said. “As Michigan’s chief election officer, that reality is clear to me every day – both as we work to ensure our elections are safe and secure - and in our efforts to protect every voter and every election official from the lies, threats and deceptive tactics that continue to plague our democracy.”
Secretary Benson spoke to senators about the threats of election misinformation generated by artificial intelligence.
“The realities of AI underscore the need for federal investment in our elections, said Benson. “AI introduces a level of speed, scale, and sophistication that is difficult for under-resourced state agencies to counter alone. Federal funds help us support and bolster our state cybersecurity infrastructure in this evolving threat environment.”
Benson also called on the federal government to do more to protect election workers, citing specific threats made to officials in Michigan.
“We all have a duty to protect the people who protect democracy,” Benson said. “In Michigan, we have made it a state crime to threaten or intimidate an election official with the specific intent of interfering with the official’s duties. This should be a federal crime. Election officials are professionals. We put voters first, and we are firmly committed to ensuring every citizen can have rightly placed faith in their vote and in our elections. It should be your highest priority to ensure we have the funding, resources, and protections to make democracy work for everyone. Because ensuring our security is critical to ensuring election security.”
Secretary Benson’s full written testimony to the Committee is available online.