Grassroots, nonpartisan group continues push for safe, accessible, and secure elections
The following can be attributed to Nancy Wang, Executive Director of Voters Not Politicians, on the passage of Senate Bill 757 through the upper chamber by a vote of 34-2:
SB 757 overcame a big hurdle with today’s passage through the Senate. Voters now need the House to act on it immediately. In addition, we urge our legislators to move – now – on other pending bills to give clerks the tools they need to count ballots efficiently and to protect Michigan voters’ right to choose to vote by absentee ballot or in-person and to have their vote counted. Michiganders need clarity and decisive action by the legislature to keep our elections safe, accessible, and secure, and to make sure accurate results are available as quickly as possible on and after Election Day.
Voters Not Politicians launched a $250,000 outreach campaign last week to support safe, convenient, and accessible voting. Over 500 Voters Not Politicians volunteers made more than 1,200 phone calls to legislators over the last two weeks as part of VNP’s Dial for Democracy Program to support the VoteSafe package of legislation. VNP volunteer mobilization is ongoing and will expand in the weeks to come.
Voters Not Politicians’ VoteSafe campaign will include constituent contact, direct mail and digital advertisements targeted to constituents of state legislators – asking them to demand that their legislators take action on four key pieces of legislation that will support safe, secure elections in Michigan:
- HB 5987 to allow ballots to be counted if they are postmarked on Election Day as long as they are received by the clerk within 48 hours after the polls close
- HB 5991 to require clerks to notify a voter if there is an issue with their signature on the absentee ballot envelope so the voter has enough time to correct the issue
- SB 757 to allow clerks to open the outer envelope of an absentee ballot the day before the election to help speed up an accurate absentee ballot count
- SB 756 to allow counting board poll workers to work in shifts
National election experts have debunked misinformation about the rate of voter fraud and point to Michigan as one of the few states that have yet to take action to ensure voters’ absentee ballots will be received and counted on time. Senate Bill 757 will now move to the state House for consideration.
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