Michigan Election Officials Are Quitting. Who Will Replace Them?

MICHIGAN — Election officials in Michigan and many other states are quitting or retiring early after facing threats and intimidation during the 2020 General Election.

What was once a quiet, overlooked job has had the political spotlight pointed directly on it, The Associated Press reported, thanks to false claims of widespread election fraud in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

The exodus of election personnel has led to quite a few job openings in the market, and they could soon be filled by conspiracy-toting radicals who are "in it for the long haul," warned one Michigan elections clerk.

Related: Detroit Election Workers Describe 'Aggressive' Poll Challengers

"They’re in it to completely crumble our republic, and they’re looking at these election administrator positions,” Barb Byrum, a Democratic Clerk in Ingham County, told The Associated Press. “They’re playing the long game.”

Byrum told The Associated Press that several seasoned election officials have recently left their posts, opening newly vacant positions. Those jobs are being vacated as false claims of election fraud pushed by former President Donald Trump continue to persist among Michigan GOP officials, providing a platform for local campaigns to become top election officials in Michigan and other swing states.

Related: MI GOP Wants To Replace Canvasser Who Voted To Certify Election

County races typically receive far less attention than statewide elections, and the same can usually be said for positions such as those on the board of state canvassers. But already, partisanship has steeped into that process, The Associated Press reported. State Republicans chose not to re-nominate a GOP member who voted to certify Michigan's election results in favor of President Joe Biden.

Read the full Associated Press story here.

Pride Month Continues Across Michigan

June is Pride Month, and Metro Detroit has a plethora of events scheduled to support its LGBTQ community.

Many of the usual events are virtual this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. But some events around Detroit are in-person.

Here are some of the places you can go to celebrate Pride Month in Metro Detroit.

Weather for the Week Ahead

After a weekend of hot weather in Metro Detroit, Michiganders can expect a little more of the same. Temperatures across the region are generally going to be in the upper-70s in the coming week, with a lot of sun.

• Monday: High of 79, low of 60. Chance for showers then thunderstorms. Mostly clear at night.
• Tuesday: High of 78, low of 54. Mostly sunny during the day. Mostly clear at night.
• Wednesday: High of 77, low of 53. Sunny. Mostly clear at night.
• Thursday: High of 82, low of 63. Sunny. Partly cloudy at night.