By Hon. Scott Benson, Detroit City Councilmember
As we approach the critical midterm elections 2026, Detroit stands at a familiar and disturbing crossroads. Many of us are called to seek justice and protect the vulnerable, yet recent rhetoric regarding our city’s elections threatens to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of registered Detroit voters.
Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers is endorsed by President Trump and has gone all in on the 2020 election conspiracy theories, such as a “van full of ballots” mysteriously showing up at the Wayne County election center during the 2020 election causing Trump to lose. This conspiracy theory has been debunked numerous times. Rogers recently suggested recruiting armed off-duty or retired police officers to serve as poll watchers—specifically in Detroit. We must call this what it is: a dog whistle for voter suppression. By singling out a majority-Black city for a heightened law enforcement presence, Rogers is reviving a Jim Crow tactic to scare and intimidate voters of color.
Rogers’ proposal does not exist in a vacuum. It follows a national pattern of weakening the protections for which generations of our ancestors fought, bled and died. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who is running for Governor, recently underscored this urgency when she commented on a recent US Supreme Court ruling that will dilute Black voting power in America.
“The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision is a slap in the face to democracy. Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act is one of the most important tools we have to ensure the ‘one person, one vote’ protections in our Constitution are made real for every American,” Benson said. “The Court’s decision to weaken it is an insult to the millions who fought and bled during the civil rights movement and will have disastrous consequences for communities of color across the country.”
Benson has been a staunch defender of our voting rights. She knows we must stand up and stand strong for voting access.
Congresswoman Haley Stevens also condemned the recent Supreme Court ruling. “For decades, the Supreme Court has undermined that landmark law, culminating in today’s decision which opens the door for states to racially gerrymander their districts and sets us back on centuries of progress,” she said. “This shameful Republican effort is an echo of a bygone era to dilute the vote of Black Americans, cheat their way out of losing power, and trample on the ideals our nation was founded on.”
Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist, running to be our next Secretary of State, has pledged to defend our right to free and fair elections. He knows how important Michigan is in the midterm elections, as all eyes will be on our US Senate race as a key to who controls the Senate in 2027.
“Now, as President Donald Trump openly talks about ‘nationalizing’ elections and specifically attacks Detroit, his allies are already laying the groundwork to try to sabotage our votes again,” Gilchrist said in a recent column in the Free Press. “And it’s no secret why they are focused on Michigan — in each of the last three presidential elections, Michigan has been decisive, and razor close. Trump’s allies know that if they can wreck the system in Michigan, they can win power everywhere.”
In Detroit, our vote is our power. In the 2020 presidential election, our city saw a surge to over 50% turnout, with more than 230,000 ballots cast. We have proven that when we show up, we shape the course of history. The attempt to “police” our polling places is a direct response to that very power. The Supreme Court ruling, the culmination of its years of chipping away at the Voting Rights Act, is just another move to suppress our vote.
We cannot meet these threats to our right to vote with silence. We must respond with a tidal wave of participation in this year’s primary and general elections. The response to suppression must be collective and visible. I am calling on every Detroiter to:
- Organize: Register new voters and arrange rides to the polls for those who need them.
- Educate: Ensure your neighbors know their rights and the locations of their polling places.
- Mobilize: Volunteer as nonpartisan poll monitors to ensure our voting spaces remain safe. And as always – VOTE!
A strong turnout from Detroit—matching or exceeding our highest watermarks—will send a clear message: attempts to intimidate us will not succeed. Our strength has always been our people. That strength must show up—organized, informed, and determined—on Election Day.
Hon. Scott Benson is a Detroit City Councilman who represents the 3rd District on Detroit’s north eastside. Scott also serves his community by sitting on numerous boards, is a proud husband and father, and an avid cyclist.
