LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – House Republican Leader Matt Hall, (R-Richland Township) criticized Democrats’ radical election legislation this week, saying it would undermine security while letting left-wing special interest groups create an unfair election system.
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On Tuesday, the Michigan House passed election changes that Hall says go beyond what Michigan voters approved last year in Proposal 2’s “Promote the Vote” legislation. In a statement, Hall said that the Democrat bills (including Senate Bills 367, 370-371, and 373) would remove key security measures and allow activists to interfere with elections to benefit their Democrat allies.
Hall said, “House Democrats are continuing their push to chip away at most basic voter security protections and let left-wing organizations create an uneven playing field. Whether obliterating signature verification, counting late votes, or letting special interests subsidize extra early voting days for Democrat areas, this foolish legislation damages election integrity while favoring Democrats.”
Hall said that the Democrat legislation would do the following:
- Make it virtually impossible for election officials to flag invalid signatures and remove fraudulent
votes. - Enable left-wing special interest groups to fund extra early voting days in choice municipalities.
- Weaken voter ID protections and let people vote with no identification and register to vote with
questionable documentation. - Allow ballots to be stored in un-secure facilities.
- Let people register and vote after polls close on election day.
- Empower the secretary of state to modify election rules unilaterally with scant oversight.
- Let clerks print insecure on-demand ballots at early voting sites.
- Allow partisan election officials to send unsolicited absentee applications to the voters of their
choice. - Require clerks to automatically send ballots to certain voters each election, including voters who may
have moved or passed away. - Expand opportunities for voters to register and vote at multiple locations in one day.
On the other side of the aisle, Democrats see the new laws as protecting Michigan voters. Representative Penelope Tsernoglou (D-East Lansing) said the new policies that were outlined in Proposal 2 last year, “are at the heart of our democracy. She added, “When we ensure every voter has the freedom to exercise their right to vote and express their will at the ballot box, our democracy is stronger.”
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson made the following statement on the Michigan Legislature’s passing of bills to implement comprehensive election reforms approved by Michigan voters last November as Proposal 2, “This is a historic day for Michigan voters and an important victory for our democracy.”
She continued, “I’m grateful to the Legislature for carrying out the will of the people of Michigan. These bills are the result of a truly collaborative process involving leaders on both sides of the aisle. They enact expanded voting rights and provide the necessary flexibility to county, city, and township clerks across the state to administer the new reforms.”
