In 2018, Benson was elected as the Secretary of State in Michigan, securing the position with an 8.9 percentage point margin over Republican Mary Treder Lang.

[20][21][22] In 2007, Benson worked with several groups to successfully keep a Secretary of State branch office open in Buena Vista Township, Michigan.

[31] Despite criticisms calling for the reintroduction of walk-in services, Benson defended retaining the system even after the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the benefits of next-day appointments for urgent matters and the overall reduction in wait times, providing a more efficient process.

[38] Prior to the 2020 presidential election, Benson identified precincts across the state with the lowest participation rates and visited them to understand how she could assist residents in exercising their right to vote.

In 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, she initiated the distribution of absentee ballots well in advance of the election and spearheaded the state's inaugural campaign to enlist and train a new generation of poll workers.

[42] In June, she initiated a platform enabling registered voters to apply for an absentee ballot online, using their state ID and last four digits of their Social Security numbers.

In August 2019, she initiated the Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force to address challenges that could hinder the voting capabilities of young citizens.

[51] In July 2023, she confirmed that federal prosecutors interviewed her for "several hours" in March as part of the ongoing criminal probe into efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

She has highlighted legislative goals that involve tightening rules on petition signature gathering, holding accountable those who mislead voters, and securing more funds for municipalities to conduct elections.

[53] As Trump voiced concerns about potential election fraud associated with absentee voting, his criticism particularly targeted Benson's mailing effort.

He called Benson a "rogue Secretary of State"[54] and initially threatened to withhold federal funds for coronavirus relief, but later retracted his threat.

[61] In October 2023, a 60-year-old man from Detroit was sentenced to 15 months of probation after threatening to kill Benson and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

[62] Benson's efforts to modernize and expand access to elections have faced legal challenges, with GOP officials claiming the mailings are illegal and could result in fraudulent activities, although the decision was compliant with the Michigan constitution and upheld in court.

[63] Michigan GOP lawmakers, such as Benson's predecessor Ruth Johnson, criticized her for using COVID-19 relief funds to mail absentee ballot applications to all registered voters.

Despite disputes and claims of potential fraudulent activities, experts argued that the multiple verification requirements in place make a significant increase in fraud unlikely.

[54] In response to concern over applications reaching dead or relocated individuals, Benson has contended that the mass mailing aids in identifying and removing inactive or deceased voters, and emphasized the long-standing signature verification measures as safeguards against fraud.

In November, the group targeted her in a lawsuit challenging the state's automatic registration law and alleging undue burdens on young voters' constitutional rights.

[65] In March 2021, Michigan’s Court of Claims ruled against Benson, saying that although the instructions' content did not breach election law, she had not followed the appropriate procedural measures while providing guidance to clerks on verifying signatures on absentee ballots.

The dispute traces back to a Free Speech for People lawsuit, asserting Trump's Capitol riot involvement violates Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.

[74] She has aimed to enhance citizens' understanding of influence in Lansing, with financial disclosures as a starting point and the possibility of addressing dark money accounts.

She has completed twenty-three full marathons since 2005,[78] including races in New York City, Honolulu, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Florence, Venice, Chicago and Philadelphia.

[80] Benson announced that she would not enter the race in March 2023 and said she would instead be focused on protecting democracy and elections in Michigan in her role as Secretary of State.

[85] On January 6, 2023, Benson was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Joe Biden, for her "undaunted and unflinching" work in performing "exemplary public service to advance free and fair elections.