Political signs taped to Lansing ballot drop box

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Lansing police are investigating after a person taped two signs with political messaging on a city ballot drop box Thursday night.

Lansing City Clerk Chris Swope reported the incident as voter intimidation.

“The sign said quote ‘so the Democrats can cheat,’ and it was taped to where a voter would put their ballot in,” said Swope.

He says the signs were discovered Friday morning by city staff at the Foster Community Center. He reviewed the video and reported the incident to police.

“It seemed to be like an attempt to intimidate voters from participating in the election by voting—their constitutional right in Michigan to vote by absentee ballot and return it through a drop box,” said Swope.

Michigan election law requires city and township clerks to report any vandalism involving a voter drop box or any suspicious activity happening near the location.

While the signs have since been removed, Swope said incidents like this are serious. He said the act did not look like a spur-of-the-moment decision.

“They thought about it. They had the tape. They had the paper, they had the sign. it’s clear they had the intention here to have people not vote, not exercise their right to vote,” he said.

Swope said he supports people getting engaged in elections and politics, but there is a difference between expressing your views and interfering with someone else’s.

“You can vote early. You can vote absentee. You can vote election day and that is the voter’s individual right to pick the way they want to vote,” said Swope.

Ryan Kost represents the 1 ^st ward in the Lansing City Council, where the community center is located. He said any attempt to interfere with access to voting is “unacceptable”.

“Such tactics are employed by cowards and we do not tolerate that in Lansing and never will,” Kost said in an online message.

Swope said early voting starts Sat. July 27, and lasts until August 4 One of those locations with early access includes the Foster Community Center.

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