Democratic legislators demand investigation into GOP congressional hopeful due to erroneous election date in campaign advertisement.
The Michigan Legislative Black Caucus has accused the Barrett campaign of possibly breaching state legislation by publishing an ad in the Michigan Bulletin, a periodical owned by Black individuals catering to Lansing, that instructs voters to cast their ballots on November 6, when Election Day actually falls on November 5.
Barrett is set to contest Democrat Curtis Hertel in a closely-fought race to replace Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin in Michigan's 7th Congressional District.
Barrett's campaign spokesperson Jason Roe dismisses the incorrect election date as merely a "typo in proofreading."
"Our campaign has prioritized engagement with the Black community and Black leaders, recognizing Senator Barrett's belief that every community deserves a voice in this election," Roe explained. "The publisher of the Bulletin alerted us about the error on Saturday, and we promptly delivered corrected artwork for the upcoming issue."
The campaign highlighted other promotional materials sent to Black voters, which correctly list November 5 as Election Day.
However, Democratic state Senators Erika Geiss and Sarah Anthony, who submitted the complaint on behalf of the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus, expressed additional worries. They argue that the ad carrying the correct date in other publications further raises questions, as by Sunday, the error had not been rectified in the Michigan Bulletin.
"At the very least, Tom Barrett and his Campaign have demonstrated a serious blunder that is bound to produce confusion among Black voters in Lansing – partly because they haven't attempted to rectify the situation yet," the legislators wrote. "Alternatively, this misleading ad could form part of a calculated strategy to 'deter' Black voters by deceiving them into reporting for voting on the day following the 2024 election."
CNN contacted the Michigan attorney general's office as well as the Ingham County prosecuting attorney for comment.
The controversy surrounding Barrett's campaign has sparked discussions in the realm of Michigan politics.
The miscommunication about Election Day in the Michigan Bulletin ad has led to concerns from the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus about potential manipulation of Black voters' participation in politics.
