Detroit City Wire

Senator Ruth Johnson and Representative Rachelle Smit have introduced legislation aimed at safeguarding Michigan's voting systems from foreign threats. The bills, Senate Bill 468 and House Bill 4720, were presented on Thursday with the goal of enhancing the security of the state's election infrastructure.

Johnson, who serves as the Republican vice chair of the Senate Elections Committee, emphasized the importance of secure voting systems in maintaining election integrity. "Secure voting systems are vital to ensuring the integrity of our elections," she stated. She highlighted that many clerks are preparing to update their voting equipment in the coming years, making it crucial to address potential vulnerabilities now.

The proposed legislation seeks to prohibit new voting systems in Michigan from including parts or equipment sourced from foreign companies deemed a security risk. Additionally, it would prevent the Board of State Canvassers from approving any system containing such components for use in state elections.

Smit, speaker pro tempore of the Michigan House of Representatives and chair of the House Election Integrity Committee, underscored this initiative as a necessary reform. "Components that are barred by federal law from being in our communications networks because they pose a national security risk should not be in our state’s voting systems," she said.

The legislation aligns with a federal law passed in 2021 that received bipartisan support and restricts equipment from companies like Huawei and ZTE within U.S. telecom networks due to security concerns. The Federal Communications Commission maintains a list identifying suppliers considered to pose unacceptable risks.

Under these bills, any new election equipment acquired after January 1, 2026, must exclude components from companies identified by the FCC as security risks. However, this would not affect repair or maintenance activities for existing systems approved before this date.