LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a collection of bipartisan bills Tuesday expanding Michiganders’ voting rights.
This comes after voters ruled in favor of Prop 2 in November 2022.
The Michigan Executive Office of the Governor says the newly signed bills lower barriers to voting without compromising security.
“Voting is the cornerstone of our system of government,” says Governor Whitmer. “Michiganders spoke with a clear, united voice last November when they voted overwhelmingly in favor of Proposal 2, expanding voting rights. Today, I am proud to sign bipartisan legislation implementing the will of the people, ensuring they can make their voices heard in every election. Let’s keep fighting to expand the constitutional right to vote freely, fairly, and securely with commonsense reforms so we can build a government of the people that delivers for the people.”
Specifically, the eight bills do the following:
- Allow voters to track the statuses of their ballots via a specialized website.
- Require a minimum of nine days of early voting to take place before elections and authorize early counting for absentee ballots.
- Establishes requirements for voters to fix ballot errors and necessitates prepaid postage for absentee envelopes.
- Allows voters to present military IDs, student IDs, passports or tribal photo IDs to verify their identities at the polls in addition to the options already in place.
- Criminalizes disclosure of election results before Election Day, punishable by up to five years in prison.
- Expand the availability of ballot drop boxes.
- Allow voters to submit one application to request absentee ballots for all elections in the future.
- Increase precinct size, saving local governments money.
Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes released the following statement in response to the bills' signing:
“Michiganders made it clear last November that they want free and fair elections, and now, Democrats are keeping our promises and ensuring that every voice is heard.
“This legislation will allow us to preserve the foundations of our democracy and build a government that fights for all Michiganders. We are so proud to be leading the charge on making our elections more accessible, instead of falling victim to the conspiracy theories and chaos that the GOP continues to embrace.”
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson issued the following statement:
“This is what it means to have a government that works for the people.
"Last November, Michiganders turned out in record numbers to expand our voting rights. Legislative leaders worked collaboratively with my office, local clerks, and voting rights advocates from around the state to make sure these bills provide the flexibility and resources we need to carry out the will of the voters. This was a thoughtful, bipartisan effort and I’m grateful to the leaders in both chambers for getting this done.
"We are ready to work with Michigan’s clerks to implement these new laws in time for next year’s elections.”
FOX 17 talked with Ottawa County Clerk Justin Roebuck about what this means moving forward.
"Mainly, it's the implementation of early voting, which Michigan residents have never had the ability to do before," Roebuck explained. "So, early voting is essentially where you walk in and it's like a precinct setup, prior to election day, where you check in, get issued a ballot and you get to vote that ballot."
He explained that some of the new laws will go into effect this year, but Michiganders won't see early voting until the 2024 presidential primary election.
"What we do need is support, financial support from state and local government...This is this fundamental change that our voters have asked for when they voted for Proposal 2 last year," Roebuck said. "This is something we really need to fund, so I think we will be ready. We are definitely in the throes of the planning stages, but we are ready for this and we have to make it a success. I think it's really important for our voters that this process be secure and efficient."
READ MORE: Proposal 2 passes, expanding rights for Michigan voters
