Hayley Harding

TKO: What a punching bag with a candidate’s face has to do with 37 uncounted ballots in Michigan Hamtramck City Clerk has been fired for “a clear lack of professional neutrality,” the mayor says.

Here's a weird one from @hayleyharding.bsky.social. There were candidate faces taped to punching bags in the Hamtramck elections' office. Then 37 ballots were throw out. Here's how that's connected.

Also, hear from one of the featured faces. www.votebeat.org/michigan/202...

TKO: What a punching bag with a candidate’s face has to do with 37 uncounted ballots in Michigan Hamtramck City Clerk has been fired for “a clear lack of professional neutrality,” the mayor says.

A punching bag with a candidate's face on it. More than three dozen disenfranchised voters. A razor-thin margin in a race to be the city's next mayor.

Here's the fullest reporting we have so far on what the hell happened in Hamtramck.

www.votebeat.org/michigan/202...

“False electors” in Michigan won’t face trail after AG decides not to appeal Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel slammed President Donald Trump for what she says is his role.

For @votebeat.org: Michigan's so called "fake electors" won't face trial after Nessel declined to appeal. In a 110-page report explaining why, she said it was "unjust" to prosecute "low-level" participants in an effort she said was led by the president.
www.votebeat.org/michigan/202...

Assumed a dark dense plant was a weed because who the heck is thriving in Michigan in the first week of March.....shoutout to Summer Hayley for leaving the nursery label stake in the ground because now Spring Hayley knows that it is a native plant I spent money on instead of a weed !!!!

Instagram's interface is so bad tell me why I accidentally reposted this ad to my feed at 1 a.m. with a bad tap

One of Michigan’s biggest counties is taking a new step in transparency The county will post every single ballot online in future elections, officials say.

One of Michigan's most important swing counties will post every ballot online in an effort to improve transparency

www.votebeat.org/michigan/202...

Votebeat Get the latest news on election administration and voting access in Michigan, plus more essential local voting news to keep you up to speed on what matters.

Gorgeous people all over Michigan will soon be getting the Votebeat Michigan newsletter........will you be one of them www.votebeat.org/michigan/sub...

* taps the sign *

As I wrote a few days ago for @votebeat.org (link in next post), restrictions on mail-in ballots are not currently in the SAVE America Act.

(as far as I know, numbers four and five aren't, either, but I didn't write about that)

After grueling hand count in 2024, a Texas county tries again When Gillespie County Republicans hand-counted the 2024 primary, it took all night and led to several errors. That didn’t stop them from doing it again in 2026.

For those following what's going on in Texas: @jessicahuseman.bsky.social was in Gillespie County last night where Republicans once again hand-counted ballots

www.votebeat.org/texas/2026/0...

Here’s when Texas voters can expect to see 2026 primary election results Republicans’ decision to count ballots by hand in two Texas counties could delay unofficial primary election results.

It's Election Day in Texas and some counties could be slower to report results.

Those include Gillespie and Eastland where results are likely to take longer because Republicans are counting their ballots by hand.

Here's what to expect:
www.votebeat.org/texas/2026/0...

Coming to learn that my CORRECT opinion that March is one of the best months (daylight savings starts, first signs of life after winter, can finally switch to lighter jackets instead of heavy coats, etc) is a hot take, which is weird because I'm right

In their clearest denial to date, DHS flatly promised election officials yesterday they would not send ICE to polling places this year: www.votebeat.org/2026/02/26/i...

I was out sick for two days. And there are so, so, so many emails. How did this many people email me.

Republican SOS candidate Articia Bomer tells me she's dropping out of the race and will instead be endorsing Anthony Forlini

37 disputed ballots shouldn’t be counted in razor-tight election, judge rules The judge found that the county “exercised its discretion” to not count 37 ballots that were surrounded by security concerns.

More on that here, as we wait for the CoA decision: www.votebeat.org/michigan/202...

BSC Chair Richard Houskamp promises Wayne Co. Canvassers chair Lisa Capatina that the Hamtramck situation will be given time on an upcoming agenda when an investigation is no longer ongoing. That case is currently at the MI Court of Appeals and the ballots in question can't be touched, Brater says

Their companies are also banned.

Michigan campaign operatives who faked signatures convicted of fraud The scandal led to several candidates in the 2022 primary getting kicked off the ballot, but Michigan hasn’t changed its laws since.

The Michigan Board of State Canvassers have exercised their authority to ban canvassers from circulating signatures again for the next four years against Shawn Wilmoth + Willie Reed, the two men found guilty of felonies related to signature fraud earlier this month www.votebeat.org/michigan/202...

Thinking about how we're only about six weeks away from Eastern Market weekends.........this will see me through the rest of the winter

A federal judge has dismissed the Department of Justice's lawsuit aiming to compel Michigan to hand over its voter data. DOJ is now 0-for-3 in court. www.votebeat.org/michigan/202...

I like that every year, you are my reminder of this

Was Vinegar Bend a legal name or can I still claim dibs on that

My favorite part of watching the Olympics is when they explain the credentials of the person doing the commentating and they're clearly one of the single most successful person to ever have competed in the sport and also you have never heard of them

"I never see you at the club" ok well I never see you in the Xerces Society list of Detroit-area pollinator plants and the creatures they help to support. So.

Why many Texans are still waiting for their voter registration cards Early voting begins in less than two weeks, and people need to know what districts they’re in. But the mid-decade redistricting and problems with a state voter-registration system have delayed mailings in many counties.

Early voting begins in less than two weeks, and people need to know what districts they’re in. But the mid-decade redistricting and problems with a state voter-registration system have delayed mailings in many counties.

Every other week I send out the Votebeat Michigan newsletter and every other week, roughly 15 seconds later, I always say "ooh I wonder who is emailing me"

If you think about it, it was actually soooooo polite for my baby bunnies to wait until AFTER I finished watching a press conference to climb onto the coffee table, chew the grip off a pen and then knock over every other thing on that table 🥰

Not now baby mommy has "Sleep, Study or Focus with Rain Sounds in The Woods White Noise | 10 Hours" on

Hearing that if I don't write the story it won't get written?

Calling all election reporters: We at @votebeat.org are hiring a senior national reporter! workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/defau... Reach out to me if you have questions!