GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — For months, the Promote the Vote group gathered signatures and educated voters about the benefits of Prop 2. The League of Women Voters was alongside them throughout the entire journey, supporting the proposal.
In early September, the State Board of Canvassers certified Prop 2 to include it on the ballot. On Tuesday, November 8, Election Night, over 2.5 million voters selected "yes" on the ballot to pass Prop 2.
“We were very pleased to see the integrity of our democracy, which is exciting to hit 60% of eligible Michigan voters place the fundamental voting rights in the constitution,” Christina Schlitt said during a Zoom interview with FOX 17 last week. “Our mission is to empower voters and defend democracy, and we have been supporting voting rights since for over 102 years.”
Schlitt is the co-president of the LWV Michigan. She said Prop 2 does not go into effect just yet. However, when it does, it'll mean that:
- Military and overseas ballots will be counted if they’re postmarked by Election Day
- People can vote with a signed affidavit if they do not have a state ID
- Require the state to provide pre-paid postage on absentee ballots
“For me personally, I think it’s the fact that now it’s enshrined in the constitution that elections are determined solely on the votes of the voters, [and] the ballots cast,” Schlitt said. “I think it’s important to note too that the nine days of early voting, and then enshrining the overseas ballots to be counted with the six day grace period, is critical.”
Schlitt said the nine days of early voting should help to reduce the long voting lines at the polls, like what happened at Michigan State University and the University of Michigan Ann Arbor on Election Day.
Right now, she said the next step for Prop 2 is that it has to get certified once again in Lansing.
“The canvassers — the State Board of Canvassers — will be meeting November 28 to certify the results of the general election, and constitutional amendments become effective 90 days after,” Schlitt said. “There are many townships that will be having elections in the spring. So, that will be plenty of time for them to implement the changes for their elections.”
Over the months, the LWV, which consists of 2,900 members, has held various town halls explaining the benefits of Prop 2. Their most recent one was before the election in Traverse City.
Schlitt said they’ll continue to do that. But, she’s “pleased” with the work her organization did to get Prop 2 passed.
“I just think it’s fantastic that people supported it wholeheartedly,” she said. “It is voting rights, that is to protect what they do at the ballots. So, it’s really heartwarming to see the support that it was given.”
