“We’re
all better off when more
Americans---Republicans, Democrats
and independents---participate in
our democracy,” said Judy Karandjeff
(at podium), president of the League
of Women Voters of Michigan. A broad
coalition including the ACLU of
Michigan, the League of Women
Voters, the state and Detroit
branches of the NAACP and others
launched a campaign Monday to bring
comprehensive election reform to
Michigan through a ballot
initiative. The petition language
was filed Monday with the Secretary
of State’s office. (Photo by HB
Meeks/Tell Us Detroit)
Donnell
R.
White,
Executive
Director
of
Detroit
Branch
NAACP
joined a
broad
coalition
including
the ACLU
of
Michigan,
the
League
of Women
Voters,
the
state
NAACP
and
others
as they
launched
a
campaign
Monday
to bring
comprehensive
election
reform
to
Michigan
through
a ballot
initiative.
The
petition
language
was
filed
Monday
with the
Secretary
of
State’s
office.
(Photo
by HB
Meeks/Tell
Us
Detroit)
Promote
The Vote
Coalition
launches
election
reform
effort
Amendment
would
make
ballot
more
secure,
accessible
DETROIT,
MI -
Between
two jobs
and four
kids,
Angela
Willson
has
little
time to
spare.
So
Willson
figures
she
should
be able
have the
option
of
voting
absentee
in
elections---without
giving a
reason.
“Allowing
all
registered
voters
to
choose
to vote
absentee
would
make my
life a
whole
lot
easier,”
said
Willson,
a nurse
anesthetist
from
Grosse
Pointe
Park.
“And it
would
help our
state
line up
with 37
others
that
allow
all
registered
voters
to cast
their
ballots
on or
before
Election
Day.”
Willson
made her
comments
Monday
at the
kickoff
for
Promote
the Vote
campaign,
an
effort
to place
on the
November
ballot a
constitutional
amendment
to
provide
comprehensive
election
reform
for
Michigan.
Citing
the need
for an
accessible
and
secure
ballot
for all,
a
coalition
which
includes
the
League
of Women
Voters,
the ACLU
of
Michigan
and the
state
and
Detroit
branches
of the
NAACP
filed
ballot
language
Monday
with the
Secretary
of
State’s
office,
organizers
announced.
In
addition
to no
reason
absentee,
the
amendment
would
give
military
members
more
time to
vote;
let
citizens
register
closer
to
Election
Day;
allow
straight
party
voting,
automatically
register
citizens
when
they do
business
at the
Secretary
of
State’s
office,
protect
a secret
ballot
and add
audits
for
election
results.
The
group
called
the
reforms
“common
sense”
designed
to give
more
individuals
a secure
and
accessible
ballot.
“We’re
all
better
off when
more
Americans---Republicans,
Democrats
and
independents---participate
in our
democracy,”
said
Judy
Karandjeff,
president
of the
League
of Women
Voters
of
Michigan.
“Providing
a system
that
works
for all
isn’t
hard; it
just
common
sense.”
The
changes
mirror
reforms
enacted
in 40
states
that
make
voting
more
accessible.
Once the
ballot
language
is
approved,
the
coalition
has to
collect
approximately
316,000
signatures
to get
the
measure
on the
November
ballot.
“Putting
voters
first
means
making
sure
that our
system
is fair
and has
integrity,”
said
Ismael
Ahmed, a
longtime
community
activist.
“Under
this
amendment,
our
votes
would be
protected
because
our
elections
could be
audited.”
Updating
the
voter
rolls
and
making
the
system
more
secure
is good
news to
Michelle
Mills,
who had
to cast
a
provisional
ballot
in 2017
because
of
inaccurate
information
at her
polling
site.
“We
need a
system
that
works
for
all,”
she
said.
For
more
information,
go to
www.promotethevotemi.com.
I
HI TECH NEWS
I
SPORTS
I
