“The system is ripe for fraud, because the qualified voter file is wildly inaccurate and some people received applications in different iterations of their name and people receive them when they live out of state now,” Karamo, an Oak Park resident endorsed by former President Donald Trump, said during a stop in Northeast Michigan on Friday.

Karamo claimed she has spoken to people who received ballot applications that were not intended for them or requested.

The 2020 election was the most secure ever and Jocelyn Benson, the Democratic incumbent secretary of state, intends to make voting as available to Michigan residents as possible while ensuring security and accuracy remain, Liz Boyd, a spokeswoman for Benson’s campaign, said in a prepared statement.

There have been 250 audits of the 2020 election results, including the first-ever hand-tally of more than 10,000 randomly selected ballots that confirmed ballot counting and the election results, Boyd said.

News File Photo Kristina Karamo, then a Republican candidate for Michigan secretary of state, admires the landscaping at the Alpena County Library in this November 2021 News archive photo.

Still, Benson is “seeking to codify the absentee ballot signature standards used by Michigan Republican secretaries of state before her,” Boyd said. “She is also seeking more time for clerks to pre-process those ballots to ensure election results are available on election night thereby closing a window for misinformation, which is in fact the most dangerous threat to America’s democracy.”

The News requested an interview with Benson directly, but was directed to Boyd.

Karamo said that, during her more than 100 campaign stops, people have expressed concerns about election integrity, especially when it comes to absentee or mail-in voting. She said she shares those concerns because she says the state’s voter roll is inadequate and in need of serious updating.

Karamo added she was in favor of all voters having to show a state-issued driver’s license or identification card to be able to vote.

Boyd said audits identified improvements Benson’s department has already seen pay off in this year’s election.

The Michigan Senate Oversight Committee, which consisted of four Republicans and one Democrat, said in a June report that it found no evidence of widespread or systematic fraud.

Numerous audits and recounts in multiple states also found no evidence of widespread fraud and confirmed the 2020 results.

If she’s elected and the incumbent governor and attorney general, both Democrats, get reelected, Karamo said she would work with them, but she would challenge them on issues that the voters who elect her believe are important.

She said she may not agree with all of the Democrats’ positions on issues, but she can set that aside while doing her job.

“First off, I will work for and with the people of the great state of Michigan, first and foremost,” she said. “The other question is, will they work with me? If they don’t, or try to limit my rulemaking I will expose it.”

Boyd said Benson has worked with Republicans for years and that will not change if Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Attorney General Dana Nessel, or any other Democrat is replaced with a Republican candidate. She said Benson’s focus is on her job and working with everyone for the betterment of all residents.

“Secretary Benson works with people on both sides of the aisle, including state lawmakers and local election officials,” Boyd said. “She is focused on getting things done for the people of Michigan, regardless of who they vote for.”

Before taking on Benson, Karamo needs to hold off other Republican challengers at next year’s state party convention. So far, Karamo, Cindy Berry, Beau LaFave, and Cathleen Postmus have thrown their hats into the ring.

Benson so far has no Democratic challengers.