LANSING – House Democrats today offered a plan to expand voter access for Michigan residents, after a Republican proposal threatened to keep nearly 350,000 voters from casting their ballots on Election Day.
"Voting is a basic right in America, and we cannot stand by and watch Republicans try to keep our state residents from the polls on Election Day," State Representative Gabe Leland (D-Detroit) said. "It is an outrage and flat out un-American for any lawmaker in this chamber to limit the number of people who can vote in this state. We want more access to voting, not less"
Democrats proposed a plan that would expand voter access by:
- Allowing residents to register and vote on the same day;
- Allowing early voting in Michigan;
- Allowing voters to vote by absentee ballot for any reason.
The Democrats attempted to amend a Republican plan that would require all voters to show photo identification when they vote. The GOP measure would throw nearly 350,000 people off the voter rolls. A similar measure in Georgia was struck down by the Secretary of State.