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Proposal 3, allowing automatic voter registration, passes in Michigan

Posted at 11:29 PM, Nov 06, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-06 23:34:37-05

(AP) — Michigan voters have approved a wide-ranging constitutional amendment that will allow people to register and vote on the day on an election, request absentee ballots without having to give a reason and cast straight-ticket ballots.

The ballot measure approved Tuesday will also automatically register people to vote when they obtain or renew a driver’s license or conduct some other type of business with the secretary of state’s office, unless they opt out.

The measure’s backers, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, the League of Women Voters and NAACP branches, say it will make voting more accessible and secure.

Its opponents, including some prominent Republicans, argued that some of the measure’s provisions are duplicative and that it would add more bureaucracy and regulations.