LANSING, Mich. — Republican Mike Detmer, a candidate for the Michigan state Senate, told a crowd Saturday that people should "show up armed" to protect Republican election observers' access to monitor the counting of ballots.
Detmer made the comment at an event in Livingston County, according to a video posted by Republican Ryan Kelley's gubernatorial campaign. A person in the crowd had asked the two candidates what can be done to "protect people" to prevent what happened at the TCF Center, where Detroit's absentee ballots were counted after the November 2020 presidential election.
The unidentified individual suggested Republican observers had been "pushed" out of the room and police "manhandled" people. Election officials have said they allowed the maximum number of poll watchers, only restricting access to any additional observers because of COVID-19 concerns.
