Police investigating voting device acquired in Michigan, sold on eBay, Secretary of State Benson

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson says the state government is working with police to investigate the alleged illegal sale of a Dominion Voting Systems device that helps disabled voters cast ballots. 

"We are actively working with law enforcement to investigate allegations of an illegal attempt to sell a voter assist terminal acquired in Michigan," Benson said Thursday. 

In the statement to voters, Benson assured residents that the state's election system remains "secure and safe" but made clear the sale broke state election law.

"While our elections remain we take seriously all violations of election law and will be working with relevant authorities to ensure there are consequences for those who break the law," Benson added.

Dominion Voting Systems Corp. sells electronic voting hardware and software, including voting machines. The machines were used in the 2020 presidential elections, and their integrity became the point of interest in states in which the presidential race was close.

In Michigan, election law prevents residents from destroying, damaging, or withholding voting equipment, in addition to obtaining "undue possession" of a voting machine.

The Dominion voting machine was dropped off at a Northern Michigan Goodwill before it was sold last month on Goodwill's website for $7.99 to an Uber driver in Ohio, who then sold it on eBay for $1,200 to a Connecticut cybersecurity expert.

Michigan authorities were alerted by the cybersecurity expert about the machine and are going to pick it up.

The voting machine was originally from Colfax Township in Wexford County, Mich.

Wexford County Clerk Alaina Nyman told Cadillac News that "No election data was on" the voter assist terminal "and you can’t get into the machine without the program cards and those were all accounted for."

Nyman said that the investigation is attempting to learn how the voting machine was acquired by the seller and when it went missing.

Regarding prevention of the disappearance of these voting machines in the future Colfax Township Clerk Becky Stoddard told Cadillac News in Michigan, "We are going to do things differently and will sign things in and out."