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UpdateMichiganThursday, October 22, 2026

Michigan clerk tried to remove voters; state said process broke the law

A county clerk attempted to purge more than 1,600 voters, but state officials said the process did not comply with Michigan law.

Reporting by
Votebeat
“A clerk tried to remove voters from the rolls. How her county, and the state of Michigan, stopped her.”, Thursday, October 22, 2026
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What happened

Antrim County Clerk Victoria Bishop, a Republican elected in 2024, took steps to remove more than 1,600 of the county's roughly 21,000 registered voters from the rolls. The Michigan Bureau of Elections said the removals failed to comply with state law. Bishop sent postcards warning residents, including Elk Rapids village council member Barb Mullaly, that they faced losing their registration for moving or not voting, though Mullaly had done neither.1

more than 1,600
voters the clerk tried to remove1
roughly 21,000
registered voters in Antrim County1
What it means in Michigan

What this means for Michigan voters

Voters can register in person at their city or township clerk's office up to 8 p.m. on Election Day.2

Key dates in Michigan

Election Day in 6 days
  1. Sat, Oct 24 · passed
    Early voting begins
  2. Mon, Nov 2 · 5 days
    Last day for mail ballot applications
  3. Tue, Nov 3 · 6 days
    Election Day; Registration deadline; Mail ballots must arrive
  4. Tue, Nov 17 · 20 days
    County/Local certification
  5. Mon, Nov 23 · 26 days
    State certification

Every date in Michigan, and who certifies the election

More on this story
Michigan · Oct 25
Lower Michigan clerk discussed election security on podcast
Reporting by Upper Michigan's Source
Michigan · Oct 25
Michigan county clerk tried to remove voters, state intervened
Reporting by Governing
The answers behind this
Who runs elections, and who can't interfereVoting in Michigan, 2026Who certifies the election in Michigan, and by when?What happens when an official refuses to certify?

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Sources

  1. Votebeat, https://votebeat.org/michigan/2026/10/22/antrim-county-victoria-bishop-local-clerks-bureau-elections · Thursday, October 22, 2026
  2. Vote.org, Michigan Election Center, https://www.vote.org/state/michigan/

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