Wayne County tells Department of Justice it doesn’t have requested ballots

May 5, 2026

The U.S. Department of Justice requested election records from Wayne County, Michigan, but County Clerk Cathy Garrett responded that the county does not maintain the requested ballots, receipts, and envelopes. Under Michigan's election system, municipal clerks at the city and township level—not the county—are responsible for administering elections and maintaining such records, and state law does not grant the county authority to compel local clerks to surrender these materials. This inquiry is part of a broader pattern of the Trump administration investigating elections in Democratic strongholds across swing states, including similar actions in Georgia and Arizona.

Who is affected

Wayne County Clerk Cathy Garrett
The 43 city and township clerks in Wayne County, represented by the Association of Wayne County Clerks
Municipal clerks who administer elections in Michigan cities and townships
Wayne County voters (a strongly Democratic constituency)
Three Wayne County voters accused of fraud in 2020
Detroit election workers previously accused in a dismissed 2020 lawsuit

What action is being taken

Wayne County Clerk Cathy Garrett is responding to the DOJ's demand by explaining the county does not have custody of the requested records
Local clerks are having conversations about how to respond if requests come directly to them
The Association of Wayne County Clerks is issuing statements criticizing the DOJ's inquiry and defending Michigan's election system
Canton Township Clerk Michael Siegrist and other clerks are preparing for the 2026 election

Why it matters

This matters because it represents an unusual federal investigation into past elections in a major Democratic county of a key swing state, potentially signaling increased federal scrutiny of local election administration. The inquiry reveals a fundamental disconnect between federal investigators and Michigan's decentralized election structure, where municipalities rather than counties maintain election records. The situation also raises concerns among local election officials about federal overreach and creates uncertainty about future requests that could disrupt their work preparing for upcoming elections while they defend a system they maintain has integrity.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article (though the DOJ official stated they "intend to get these records" and local clerks are preparing for possible requests).

Read full article from source: bridgedetroit.com