VNP in the News
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Malijah Gee was first incarcerated in a Michigan prison when he was about 17 years old. “I came here as a youth, so I was never able to vote,” Gee said. After spending 36 years behind bars, Gee is expected to be released early next year, and he says he’s excited […]
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A new online system for processing requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for the Department of Elections was unveiled Tuesday by Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. Hailing it as another piece of her effort to increase government transparency, Benson said the system would help bring Michigan forward from its current status. Calling […]
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Grand Rapids’ LINK UP hosted a town hall Wednesday evening devoted to educating the public about new Michigan voting laws. The Grand Rapids Voter Access Town Hall is bringing together community leaders along with Kent County and Grand Rapids government officials focused on helping community members navigate new voting laws. In particular, new voting rights […]
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Michigan on Thursday became the first U.S. state to automatically register people to vote when they are released from prison, part of a slew of new election laws that also affect artificial intelligence, harassment and young voters. House Bill 4983, signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, requires the Secretary of State’s office and Department of Corrections […]
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Eyeing 2024, Michigan Democrats expand voter registration and election safeguards in the swing state
Michigan Democrats are building on an effort to overhaul election laws in the state by allowing 16-year-olds to register before they can legally vote at 18 and adding more protections for election officials ahead of a 2024 presidential election that the swing state could play a critical role in. The election bills package, signed Thursday […]
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When Oakland County Clerk Lisa Brown looks back on the nine days of early voting she administered in the lead-up to Michigan’s Nov. 7 local elections, she considers it not only a logistical success, but a good time for those working the polls. The southeast Michigan county was one of ten throughout the state where some voters […]
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Over the last five years, Michigan has become a centre of U.S. electoral reform. The state has abolished gerrymandering, enacted a slew of measures making it easier to vote, cracked down on voter suppression attempts, and imposed new financial disclosure requirements on politicians. The moves to improve the democratic system were all enacted by using […]
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In the Mel Brooks comedy classic “History of the World Part l,” his Roman character Comicus is quoted: “Politics! Politics! Politics! – The Roman Senate is the best legislature money can buy; corruption starts with the little peddlers in the street. They bribe an assemblyman – the assemblyman bribes a captain – the captain bribes a […]
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Members of the House Elections Committee on Monday voted in favor of advancing a slate of bipartisan bills that would regulate the use of deepfakes in political ads. Last week, House Elections Committee Chair Penelope Tsernoglou (D-East Lansing) and state Reps. Ranjeev Puri (D-Canton), Matthew Bierlein (R-Vassar) and Noah Arbit (D-West Bloomfield) introduced House Bills 5141–5145. […]
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In a new report evaluating state redistricting efforts, Michigan scored a “B” based on feedback from state and local organizations, advocates and community organizers. The report by the Coalition Hub for Advancing Redistricting & Grassroots Engagement (CHARGE), used interview survey responses to evaluate each state’s redistricting efforts, including what worked, what did not and what could […]
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