Black state lawmakers are calling for an investigation into GOP candidate Tom Barrett over a new advertisement that listed the wrong election date.
Democratic state senators Erika Geiss and Sarah Anthony, on behalf of the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus, filed a complaint alleging that a state law was violated. They are calling on the county prosecutor and state attorney general to investigate the case.
Barrett ran the ad with the incorrect date only in the Michigan Bulletin, a Black-owned newspaper based in Lansing. Election Day was misprinted, referring to November 6 as the day to vote rather than November 5.
In the state, it’s considered a form of “bribery, menace or other corrupt means or device” to mislead voters in an attempt to prevent them from casting their decision.
According to CNN, Barrett’s campaign maintains that it was a “proofing error” made by using a template previously created for the state’s primary on Aug. 6.
The complaint is now being looked at by the Michigan Bureau of Elections.
Michigan Republican congressional candidate Tom Barrett ran an ad in the Michigan Bulletin, a Black owned paper, asking Black voters to vote on November 6, the day after Election Day on November 5. The same ad got the date correct in other publications. pic.twitter.com/dNhoUhdKvM
— Fly Sistah 🪷 (@Fly_Sistah) October 16, 2024
“At best, Tom Barrett and his campaign have committed a shocking oversight which will undoubtedly lead to confusion by Black voters in Lansing — in part because they still do not appear to have made any attempt to correct the record,” said lawmakers in the complaint signed by the chairwoman and vice chairwoman of the Black caucus per CNN. “And, at worst, this ad could be part of an intentional strategy to ‘deter’ Black voters by deceiving them into showing up to vote on the day after the 2024 election.”
The complaint comes as candidates for the Presidential Election boost efforts to win over the state considered to be a key battleground state.
Earlier this week, Vice President Harris embarked on her campaign in Michigan, meeting with several leaders in Detroit and other Michigan cities.
In a live broadcasted radio town hall held in Detroit, Harris sat down in conversation with radio host Charlamagne tha God, emphasizing the need to study reparations, the threat Donald Trump poses to the wellbeing of Americans and speaking on her career as a prosecutor.
In the interview, Harris also told supporters that she’s “going to win, but it’s tight.” Per a new Quinnipiac Poll University, researchers released data proving that the race is still tight in key Blue Wall battleground states like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
While Harris leads 49% to 46% in Pennsylvania, Trump currently has a slight edge on Harris in Michigan and Wisconsin, leading 50% to 47% in the former and 48% to 46% in the latter.
Election day is currently 18 days away.
