DOJ Demands Detroit Turn Over All 2024 Ballots

Michigan officials call request 'absurd' and a 'poorly disguised attempt' to fuel skepticism

Apr. 20, 2026 at 1:15am

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A dynamic, fragmented painting in shades of blue, grey, and red depicting a stack of voting ballots in motion, conveying a sense of political turbulence and uncertainty.As the DOJ demands Detroit turn over all 2024 ballots, the move raises concerns about federal overreach and efforts to undermine confidence in election integrity.Today in Detroit

The Justice Department is pressing officials in the Detroit area to turn over every ballot cast in the 2024 election, a move Michigan Democrats say is an unfounded federal intrusion into their voting system. The DOJ claims the jurisdiction has a 'history of fraud convictions and other allegations', but state officials call the request 'absurd' and a 'poorly disguised attempt' to cast doubt on elections ahead of the November midterms.

Why it matters

This request by the DOJ is seen as a continuation of the Trump administration's national campaign to investigate the country's voting system, which has included seizing 2024 ballots in Georgia. It raises concerns about federal overreach and potential efforts to undermine confidence in election integrity, especially in Democratic strongholds like Detroit.

The details

In a letter sent Tuesday, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon called on the Wayne County clerk to provide 2024 ballots, ballot envelopes, and receipts, citing a 'history of fraud convictions and other allegations' in the jurisdiction. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel responded that the request 'is as absurd as it is baseless', noting that the DOJ is seeking about 865,000 ballots and hundreds of thousands of related documents, but directed the demand to the wrong office as the ballots are held by 43 municipal clerks, not the Wayne County clerk.

  • The DOJ letter was sent on Tuesday and released by state officials on Sunday.
  • Michigan will hold elections for governor and US senator in November 2026.

The players

Harmeet K. Dhillon

Assistant Attorney General who heads the DOJ's Civil Rights Division and sent the letter demanding the 2024 ballots.

Dana Nessel

Michigan Attorney General who called the DOJ's request 'absurd' and a 'poorly disguised attempt' to cast doubt on elections.

Gretchen Whitmer

Democratic Governor of Michigan who criticized the DOJ's move as a 'poorly disguised attempt' to fuel skepticism and misinformation.

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What they’re saying

“If this administration wants to bring this circus to our state, my office is prepared to protect the people's right to vote.”

— Dana Nessel, Michigan Attorney General

“The request 'is as absurd as it is baseless'.”

— Dana Nessel, Michigan Attorney General

“This is a poorly disguised attempt to fuel skepticism and misinformation.”

— Gretchen Whitmer, Governor of Michigan

What’s next

The DOJ has given officials two weeks to comply with the request and warned that it may file a lawsuit if they do not. Michigan officials have vowed to protect the people's right to vote and prevent this 'circus' from coming to their state.

The takeaway

This DOJ request is seen as the latest escalation in the Trump administration's national campaign to investigate the country's voting system, raising concerns about federal overreach and potential efforts to undermine confidence in election integrity, especially in Democratic strongholds like Detroit. Michigan officials have strongly pushed back, calling the request 'absurd' and a 'poorly disguised attempt' to sow doubt ahead of the November midterms.