(Source: MIRS.news, Published 09/05/2024) Did anyone have Democrats accusing one another of election fraud on their 2024 bingo card? 

Huwaida Arraf, an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination to be a University of Michigan (U-M) Regent, has filed a lawsuit against Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) Chair Lavora Barnes and the party itself for allegedly not following its own bylaws. 

Arraf was one of three vying for two open nominations to the Board of Regents as a Democrat, and hundreds came to show their support for her campaign at the Democratic State Nominating Convention on Aug. 24, but she was unsuccessful due to a weighted system of voting.  

The lawsuit says that per MDP bylaws, since the Board of Regents is a multi-position office, a slate method of voting should have been used rather than majority voting tabulation. Under slate voting, Arraf would have won one nomination since Shauna Ryder Diggs and Denise Ilitch ran on the same slate. 

In a press call Thursday, Arraf said she did as much as she could to resolve the issue amicably before filing a lawsuit. 

Arraf said she brought hundreds of first-time convention goers that do feel discouraged from participating again.  

“We firmly believe that a lot of voters who came out were disenfranchised, and that is also not what we want as a Democratic Party,” Arraf said. “Especially in the time that we are now and leading up to the November election, knowing how much of a treat a potential Trump presidency can be.” 

The lawsuit was filed in the Ingham County 30th Circuit Court and requests that the plaintiffs be awarded “reasonable costs and attorney fees” and any other or further relief the court considers just. 

To vote at the convention, voters had to be registered party members a month before the convention, and Barnes announced there were 1,248 credentialed members present the day of the convention. Arraf noted that an email correspondence from Barnes after the fact listed 1,422 voters. The suit also alleges that the Democratic State Central Committee did not establish a quorum for a meeting to ratify the results on the convention floor, therefore invalidating the ratification. 

Michigan ballots are to be set by week's end as local clerks begin to print absentee ballots.