Michigan Board of Canvassers to discuss 68K fraudulent signatures submitted by GOP candidates
LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - The Michigan Board of Canvassers will gather for its first high-profile public meeting relating to the midterm election races Thursday to discuss allegations of fraudulent signatures that have endangered half of the Republican Party's gubernatorial candidates.
Some of the party's highest polling candidates, including James Craig and Perry Johnson risk missing the primary in August after their campaigns were accused of submitting petitions filled with thousands of fraudulent signatures.
It's unclear if any of the five campaigns were aware of the fraud, which included instances of forgery, dead voters, and other suspicious signatures.
But what is clear is the bureau's review released Monday, recommending Craig, Johnson, Michael Markey, Michael Brown, and Donna Brandenburg be disqualified from the ballot is one of the biggest shakeups of statewide politics in recent memory.
On the line is the governorship and a race against incumbent Gretchen Whitmer.
When the board meets Thursday, they'll have the opportunity to uphold the bureau's recommendations or reject them. However, it would require at least three of the four members to go against the recommendations for the move to be allowed.
RELATED: James Craig blames 'shenanigans' for signatures woes
It's made up of two Republicans and two Democrats.
Michigan Bureau of Elections' review rocks Republican race for governor
If recommendations are followed, then the GOP race for governor will be cut in half following a review by the Michigan Bureau of Elections that found five candidates submitted enough invalid signatures to disqualify them from the ballot.
The Republican Party plans to argue against the recommendations.