LANSING – Michigan has spent the
last few years cleaning up its elections process and is ready to add no-reason
absentee voting to the system, Secretary
of State Ruth Johnson told the Michigan House Elections Committee on
Wednesday.
“I believe Michigan is ready to
offer this service to accommodate the busy schedule of hard working
people,” Johnson said. “Michigan has led the nation in modernizing
processes and systems. Because of all the work we have done, the time is
right for secure no-reason absentee voting.”
She urged committee members to
support HB
4724
to bring the state in line with 27 other states that offer
no-reason absentee voting, but “with Michigan’s stamp of security.”
The bill, introduced by Rep.
Lisa Posthumus Lyons (R-Alto), chair of the committee, would retain the
traditional reasons allowing absentee voting. It would also allow a person to
go to the local clerk to apply for a no-reason absentee ballot.
At the time the person is applying,
he or she would have to follow the same rules as when receiving ballots on
Election Day. Currently, the bill requires the person to show identification,
but the committee discussed adding the current affidavit process.
The bill, which would take effect
January 1, 2016, would also prohibit campaigning – beginning 45 days before the
election – if an office was open and receiving applications for no-reason
absentee ballots.
Johnson said no-reason absentee
voting is an option the people want.
The committee did not vote on the
bill, although there was no opposition presented. Lyons said she is giving the
committee time to study the bill.
“It’s a big change,” she
said.
Lyons said the issue has been
politicized, but she said it’s important to take partisanship out of elections
as much as possible.
“Any time you are talking about
changing how you do elections, I believe there is certainly a political
component to it because that is the job of the parties,” she said.
“But I don’t work for the party, I work for the people and we really need
to look at what we can do to make sure our elections are fair, they’re secure
and helping ensure we have as much voter participation as possible.”
Mary Hollinrake, the Kent County
Clerk, said if the state approves a ban on straight ticket voting, then
no-reason absentee voting would be crucial in preventing long lines at polling
places.
Lyons said she is very interested in
looking at an elimination of straight ticket voting.
“We don’t vote for parties, we
vote for people,” she said.
Gretchen Driskell (D-Saline), minority vice chair of the committee,
expressed some concern that a person voting no-reason absentee would be
required to continuously apply in person to get a ballot, even after the state
has validated his or her identity.
Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor) said those opposing no-reason absentee voting
often point to it as an avenue to increased fraud in elections. He said those
most likely to vote absentee for no reason are the ones who don’t want to
“fib even a little bit” in voting absentee under current law.
“What we’re doing here today,
what we’re talking about doing, isn’t going to make life easier for the
fraudsters,” he said.
Chris Thomas, the director of
elections for the Department of State, said there is no apparent increase in
fraud in other states after the enactment of no-reason absentee voting.
Lyons said she is comfortable with
hearing opposition to the bill, but wants to hear reasons. She said if someone
says there will be an increase in fraud, she wants to hear how.
“No-reason opposition is not
good enough. No-reason absentee, if it is secure, is good,” she said.
This story was published by Gongwer News Service. To
subscribe, click on www.gongwer.com
