Secretary of State Directive to Delete Electronic Pollbook Software (MI)

Michigan Bureau of Elections, under Secretary Benson, issued a February 12, 2021 memorandum to county clerks directing that certain election records “must be deleted” and that electronic pollbook software and associated files be deleted. This directive was issued within the 22-month federal preservation window and appears to conflict facially with 52 U.S.C. § 20702. The Michigan Senate Oversight Committee characterized the allegations as “misleading,” asserting e-pollbook deletion is “standard practice ordered by the federal government” – but no federal authority for this specific directive has been identified in the record.