Who Is the Chief Election Official in Michigan?

In a perennial battleground state like Michigan, where elections are often decided by razor-thin margins, one public servant stands at the center of it all. But who is the state's chief election official, and what exactly do they do?

The Office of the Secretary of State

The chief election official in Michigan is the Secretary of State. The current officeholder is Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat who was first elected in 2018. As the state's top election administrator, she has supervisory control over the 1,603 county and local clerks who execute elections on the ground, making Michigan's system the most decentralized in the nation. The Secretary of State is elected by Michigan voters to a four-year term and can serve a maximum of two terms. The position is third in the line of succession to the governor, after the lieutenant governor.

A Job of Dual Responsibilities

Unlike in many other states, the Michigan Secretary of State's duties are twofold. The officeholder is not only the chief election officer but also the chief motor vehicle administrator.

This means that in addition to overseeing all aspects of elections—from voter registration to ballot initiatives and certifying results—the Secretary of State also runs the department that functions like a DMV, handling driver's licenses, vehicle registrations, and state IDs. This dual role gives the office a broad public footprint, interacting with nearly all of the state's ten million residents in some capacity.

An Expert in the Field

Jocelyn Benson is a nationally recognized expert in election law. Before taking office, she was the dean of Wayne State University Law School, becoming the youngest woman in U.S. history to lead a top-100 accredited law school. She also authored "State Secretaries of State: Guardians of the Democratic Process," one of the first major books analyzing how these officials enforce election and campaign finance laws across the country. Her academic and professional background provided a foundation for overseeing a series of high-turnout and highly scrutinized elections in Michigan.

A Role Under the National Microscope

In recent years, the position of Michigan's Secretary of State has been elevated from a relatively low-profile administrative role to a front-line position in the national debate over election integrity. Benson oversaw the 2020 and 2022 elections, which both saw record-breaking turnout and were affirmed as secure through hundreds of post-election audits. Her efforts to expand voting access, particularly through absentee voting, earned her both national awards like the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award and intense political scrutiny. The role's prominence has only grown as Michigan continues to be a focal point in presidential politics.

Navigating Political Challenges

Serving as the chief election official in a major swing state comes with significant political pressure. The office is responsible for ensuring elections are secure while also remaining accessible to all eligible voters. This has involved implementing policies to counter election-related misinformation, fortify election infrastructure against potential threats, and navigate legal and political challenges to voting procedures. Recent reports indicate Benson is a candidate for Governor in 2026, a move that has drawn criticism from some opponents who claim it creates a conflict of interest, despite steps taken to create a "firewall" between her duties and her campaign.