LANSING — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald are calling for an independent audit of the Michigan Democratic Party's April 19 endorsement convention after reports revealed significant problems with the electronic voting system.

State Sen. Sylvia Santana filed a 53-page appeal questioning the results of the convention, accusing party leaders of failing to enforce in-person voting rules. Santana lost her race for a Michigan State University board of trustees nomination by approximately 15 votes.

Material Errors in Vote Counting

Santana's campaign reviewed location data from devices used to vote at the convention held at Detroit's Huntington Place. The investigation showed more than 200 votes were cast remotely, from locations outside the convention center.

According to Santana's filing, voters were able to cast ballots from as far away as Montenegro and Antrim County during the convention. Michigan Democratic Party rules required members to be physically present at the convention to vote.

"If those 200 votes weren't counted, Santana would win by 50 votes, her campaign argued."

The Michigan Democratic Party's Appeals Committee will review all submitted appeals. Candidates had until Monday to file their own appeals.

Nessel Reports Voting System Failures

Attorney General Dana Nessel, an influential Michigan Democrat who was seeking the party's endorsement for attorney general, reported technical problems with the voting system.

"I learned in the days immediately following the convention that the Election Buddy app did not correctly attribute my votes or my congressional district, and I immediately notified the impacted candidates and the state party chair."

Nessel stated that she actually abstained from voting in the attorney general race, though her vote was initially attributed to rival Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit in unofficial records.

"There's a substantial and documented difference between voting on a third-party mobile phone application at a partisan convention and the long-established, decentralized process utilized by Michigan's over 1,600 bipartisan clerks each election," Nessel wrote.

McDonald Supports Independent Audit

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald, who was seeking the attorney general nomination and lost to Savit, also endorsed Santana's call for an independent audit.

"After reviewing the results of the MDP Endorsement Convention, it became clear that votes were incorrectly recorded, people voted who were not onsite, and some votes were not recorded at all," McDonald said in a statement. "I strongly support Senator Santana's request for an independent audit, and urge my Democratic colleagues across the state to support it as well. It is critical that every voter and every campaign have confidence in the vote."

Multiple Voting System Issues

Santana's appeal alleged numerous technical problems with the voting system:

  • 302 people who cast votes were not on the party's master voting list
  • 208 voters shared a phone number with at least one other voter, including six members attached to a single phone number
  • 16 instances of people's votes being recorded incorrectly
  • Affidavit from longtime party member Rochella Stewart, who said she received six different access codes for voting

Stewart signed her affidavit under penalty of perjury and stated she was concerned whether her vote was actually counted. The list of approximately 6,600 convention voters previously obtained by The Detroit News did not include Stewart's name.

Party Response

Derrick Honeyman, spokesman for the Michigan Democratic Party, declined to comment on Santana's filing until the appeal deadline passed.

"The committee will determine next steps," Honeyman said. "We are committed to following the appeals process and ensuring it is fair and independent."

Honeyman stopped short of saying whether the findings would be released to the public or members of the media.

Convention Results

Under the current unofficial results, the Michigan Democratic Party endorsed the following candidates:

  • Attorney General: Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit received approximately 59% of the vote; Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald received approximately 41%
  • Secretary of State: Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II received approximately 58% of the vote; Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum received approximately 22%; Shkreli, a former state lottery commissioner, received approximately 20%

The party also nominated candidates for university board positions, including positions at the University of Michigan and Michigan State University.

Republican Response

Some Republican Party figures have commented on the convention results in the days following the event.

Nessel's statement addressed concerns about election integrity, noting the difference between a party convention voting system and Michigan's established election process.

"Those drawing a false equivalency are also the same ones telling you not to trust Michigan's election system which includes paper ballots, audits, and bipartisan certification at the local and state level," Nessel wrote. "Those who traffic in election conspiracies will seek any and every opportunity to undermine public confidence in our elections, and while an audit is warranted in this circumstance, these results have no bearing on the veracity of state-run elections."

The Michigan Democratic Party will hold its annual state convention in December to elect party officials and set its platform for the 2026 election cycle.