A western Michigan community has agreed to pay $20,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a woman who was denied a ballot in the 2022 midterm election despite being registered to vote. Ashleigh Smith of Muskegon County was repeatedly turned away from her polling place after officials failed to find her name in the voter database.
Smith visited her polling location multiple times on Nov. 8, 2022, but was told her address didn’t appear in the electronic voter roster.
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Holton Township Clerk Jill Colwell-Coburn later apologized but said there was nothing more she could do.
Smith, who had a voter registration receipt and a sticker on her driver’s license confirming her new address, could have been given a provisional ballot under Michigan law. Local officials also had the option to re-register her on-site, but neither solution was offered.
Smith’s attorney, Mark Brewer, said the case highlights the importance of ensuring voters are not turned away, especially when the issue could be quickly resolved.
“No voter should ever have to leave a polling place without voting,” Brewer said. He emphasized that changes in Michigan’s election laws provide safeguards for situations like Smith’s.
The township settled the case quickly, acknowledging that its actions were unjustifiable. However, in a March court filing, an attorney for the township and clerk argued that the officials acted in good faith and believed they were following the law.
