By Jessica Mathews/News@whmi.com


A local lawmaker is raising concerns about a recent ruling from a federal judge in favor of a GOP congressional candidate that delayed a deadline by which Michigan candidates must file petitions to qualify for the ballot.

Citing the state’s stay-at-home order tin place because of the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. District Judge Terrence Berg said candidates can collect half as many signatures as normal, and they can gather them by email instead of getting a physical signature. He also ordered Director of Elections Jonathan Brater to develop rules within 72 hours to collect and submit ballot petition signatures electronically. The ruling is a victory for Eric Esshaki is seeking the Republican nomination in Michigan's 11th Congressional District, which includes portions of northwestern Wayne and southwestern Oakland counties. The seat is currently held by Democrat Haley Stevens. Esshaki, a registered nurse and lawyer, had sued after only being able to collect 700 of the required 1,000 signatures.

Republican State Representative Ann Bollin of Brighton Township says “The process and deadlines for collecting signatures to run for office are clearly laid out in state law and that should not be disregarded” – adding Esshaki announced his candidacy in October 2019. Bollin said a lot of people announced their candidacies last year and had more than enough time to collect the signatures they needed the right way –adding it’s wrong for a judge to unilaterally change the signature-collection process for this election at the request of a small handful of candidates who failed to make the adjustments necessary to collect and submit signatures in time.” Esshaki argued the requirement placed candidates in the position of either having to break the law or forgo running for public office altogether. Judge Berg agreed and said the deadline amidst the pandemic requirements violated Esshaki’s freedoms of speech and association as well as equal protection and due process.

Bollin, who served as Brighton Township clerk for 16 years, also objected to Berg’s order requiring the Secretary of State to begin accepting electronic signatures. Bollin says electronic signatures have never been a part of elections and she has some serious concerns about them jeopardizing the integrity of the process – especially when the state is ordered to throw together rules for an email-based system within 72 hours.