- Candidate disqualifications are up in recent years, with the most in recent memory occurring during the 2022 election cycle
- At that time, a signature fraud scandal kept 48 candidates, including several in the Republican gubernatorial race, off the ballot
- While an increased number of disqualifications in the last four years can feel like this is a new normal, it’s definitely not a traditional one
LANSING — As the August primary and November general elections approach, Bridge Michigan is inviting readers to ask questions that we promptly answer though the Elections FAQ feature of our Voter Guide.
You can ask a question here.
Our latest reader question: Eight candidates curtailed from MI ballots for 2024 primary — is that a norm for past primary elections?
There are several reasons a candidate could be disqualified from the ballot.
These issues typically range from outright not gathering enough signatures to make the ballot — this threshold is fluid depending on the position sought — or having the wrong formatting on those sheets.
Yet, given state and local election officials have kept a total of 75 candidates off the ballot in the last four years, it can certainly feel like this is becoming a new normal.
It’s not, however, a traditional normal.
Looking back, just eight candidates were kept from the ballot in 2016. That number jumped to 18 candidates in 2018 then fell to nine in 2020.
It’s only recently that disqualifications have skyrocketed, 48 candidates overall kept from the ballot in 2022.
That’s the year a massive and unprecedented forgery scheme rocked a number of candidate campaigns, including Republican gubernatorial hopefuls like former Detroit Police Chief James Craig and businessman Perry Johnson, keeping them from the ballot.
