The next is a transcript of an interview with Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that aired on Oct. 20, 2024.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We flip now to Michigan Secretary of State, Jocelyn Benson. Good morning to you, Madam Secretary.
SECRETARY OF STATE JOCELYN BENSON: Good morning.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So greater than 1 million folks have already voted in Michigan. Greater than 2 million folks have requested absentee ballots. I do know you solid your personal poll in Detroit, which started voting yesterday. What is the turnout like?
SEC. BENSON: Individuals are energized, and it has been actually thrilling to see. Now we’re over two weeks out, simply over two weeks out, and already, as you talked about, over one million residents have returned their absentee ballots, which is a good signal for an engaged voters on either side of the aisle. After which yesterday, Detroit launched early in individual voting, the place residents might come and truly put their ballots into the machine. That is what I did, and I joined near 2000 others who did that. And simply to provide you some comparability, the primary day of early in-person voting in Detroit within the August main, we noticed simply over 200 folks vote. This time we noticed 2000, or near 2000, 10 occasions, virtually, as many. In order that reveals Detroit residents are overwhelmingly enthusiastic and engaged, and I am actually grateful for all our companions who’ve been educating residents about their rights to vote in these remaining weeks.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So I wish to ask you an identical query I requested your- your colleague from Georgia: if the presidential candidate from the opposite get together wins, will you implement election certification for that winner? It is probably Donald Trump.
SEC. BENSON: Sure, with out hesitation. I imply, that is my job. That is our job as skilled election directors, to verify it is easy to vote, laborious to cheat, and that all of us stand by the need of the folks, no matter which may be.
MARGARET BRENNAN: How shortly do you count on to get outcomes?
SEC. BENSON: Effectively, , in 2020 we had the outcomes of our highest turnout election in Michigan historical past, inside 24 hours of the polls closing. The unofficial outcomes have been accomplished by 8pm on Wednesday. So we’re monitoring that once more this yr. We do have extra choices to course of ballots prior to Election Day, which is the place we have been restricted in 2020, so I am optimistic we might see outcomes even sooner. However I’d estimate, finish of the day on Wednesday, as the very best guess on how we’ll carry out. However that mentioned, we are going to at all times prioritize accuracy and safety over effectivity. Understanding how a lot folks will need these outcomes, we’re nonetheless going to verify the method is safe and correct earlier than we put something out to the general public. However that mentioned, we perceive folks’s vitality and pleasure, and we’ll be working laborious to make sure these outcomes are prepared as quickly as potential.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You’ve been posting on X, formally generally known as Twitter, about Elon Musk, who you may have accused of deliberately spreading false details about Michigan voters. He’s an enormous supporter of Donald Trump. He owns that platform. Do you imagine– what do you imagine his intention is right here? And the way involved are you that he is deceptive voters?
SEC. BENSON: Effectively, I will say two issues. One, we all know adversaries to democracy proper now try to create chaos and confusion and sow seeds of mistrust round our very clear and bonafide and correct and safe processes of operating elections, not simply in Michigan however across the nation. So it is incumbent upon all of us to look to trusted sources of data like your native election official and use knowledge to judge questions, versus people who find themselves operating social media firms with specific agendas and who’ve a historical past in amplifying conspiracy theories and false info. So on this second, it is going to be my duty, and actually everybody’s, to look and promote and amplify trusted details about our elections so that individuals can know each the place to go along with questions and likewise think about the outcomes. We’ve got arrange an internet site, michigan.gov/electionfacts, which addresses each single query folks have raised, and we encourage residents to go there, versus social media for in search of trusted and correct details about our elections.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You’ve beforehand mentioned that Michigan, your state, is being focused by overseas actors who’re attempting to disrupt the democratic course of. Have you ever been given concrete proof or examples by U.S. intelligence about what is occurring in your battleground state, like what type is it taking?
SEC. BENSON: We all know that our- as a result of our techniques are safe, there are overseas unhealthy actors and adversaries to democracy on the worldwide scale who will search to probably not hack our techniques, however hack voters’ minds, to unfold falsehoods and misinformation. Not simply to sow seeds of mistrust, however to decrease residents’ confidence within the course of and in their very own voices. And also you see it amplifying now, as a result of if there may be sufficient noise, it might probably trigger folks to probably quit and say, I do not know what to imagine. I am disengaging altogether. That is the objective. So we’re seeing efforts to amplify misinformation, and are ready to, once more, push again with actual info, however we’d like voters to be part of that as properly.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Thanks for setting the desk for us, Madam Secretary. We’ll be proper again.
