RNC Puts Michigan County Clerks on Notice Over Reports Voters Were Told They Could Not Split Their Ticket

The Republican National Committee sent a letter to Michigan county clerks on Election Day saying it had received reports that election inspectors were telling voters they could not split their ticket after choosing the straight-party option, and reminding clerks that the Michigan Constitution allows it.

The letter, dated Nov. 3, 2026, and signed by RNC counsel Luke Bunting and James Hasson, was posted Tuesday afternoon by the RNC's election integrity account on X, @RNCVoteProtect. "MICHIGAN: THE RNC IS PUTTING COUNTY CLERKS ON NOTICE TO FOLLOW THE LAW," the post said. "Voters are reportedly being given FALSE information about split-ticket voting. Michigan law is clear. We're taking action."

What the RNC Says Happened

According to the letter, the RNC received reports from across Michigan that inspectors at polling places told voters that once they marked a straight-party vote, they could not cross over and vote for a candidate of another party. The letter calls that information false and points clerks to the state constitution's guarantee of split-ticket voting.

The letter does not name the counties or polling places involved, and The Digital Free Press has not independently confirmed the reports. The RNC wrote that the Michigan Secretary of State "has been notified and has taken steps to address this issue." As of Tuesday evening, the Michigan Department of State's online newsroom had posted no statement on split-ticket voting; its most recent release, dated Nov. 2, said more than 2.3 million Michigan voters had already cast ballots.

What Michigan Law Says on Split-Ticket Voting

Michigan restored the straight-party option in 2018, when voters approved a constitutional amendment adding it to the list of voting rights in Article II, Section 4. Section 4(1)(c) guarantees every registered voter "the right, once registered, to a 'straight party' vote option on partisan general election ballots."

The same provision states: "In partisan elections, the ballot shall include a position at the top of the ballot by which the voter may, by a single selection, record a straight party ticket vote for all the candidates of one (1) party. The voter may vote a split or mixed ticket."

In practice, a voter who fills in the straight-party oval may still mark a candidate of a different party in an individual race. The straight-party selection applies only to partisan offices; nonpartisan races and ballot proposals must be marked separately.

Another Michigan Fight

The letter came one day after the RNC and the Michigan Republican Party announced a court win over Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. In a Nov. 2 release, the RNC said the Michigan Court of Claims had permanently blocked a rule requiring local clerks to delete electronic pollbook software and associated files within seven days of the final canvass and certification, and had ordered those records preserved as required by Michigan law.

"Jocelyn Benson tried to destroy critical election records, and the RNC fought back and won," RNC Chairman Joe Gruters said in that release.

Voters in Michigan who are unsure how to mark their ballot can ask a precinct election inspector for help or request a new ballot if they make a mistake before it is cast.

TDFP has reached out to the Michigan Department of State for comment.

Seeing election problems at your polling place? Contact The Digital Free Press at tips@thedigitalfreepress.com.

Sources: Republican National Committee letter to Michigan county clerks, Nov. 3, 2026, as posted by @RNCVoteProtect on X (https://x.com/RNCVoteProtect/status/2117730160099066033); Michigan Constitution, Article II, Section 4 (https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-Article-II-4); Michigan Department of State, News (https://www.michigan.gov/sos/resources/news); Republican National Committee, "RNC Permanently Stops Benson's Scheme to Wipe Out Michigan Election Records Before the Midterms," Nov. 2, 2026 (https://gop.com/press-release/rnc-permanently-stops-bensons-scheme-to-wipe-out-michigan-election-records-before-the-midterms/); Cover photo: "Michigan State Capitol, Capitol Avenue, Lansing, MI" by w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.