LANSING, Mich. – Joining with volunteers from Voters Not Politicians, the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners has passed a resolution in opposition to a package of 39 bills introduced by Michigan legislators which seek to restrict voters’ rights and make elections less equitable and efficient.
“Michigan voters have spoken, and audit after audit has made one point abundantly clear: voting rights should be expanded, not restricted,” said Nancy Wang, executive director of Voters Not Politicians. “I commend the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners for listening to their constituents and standing for equitable voting rights, not the interests of party politics.”
The resolution passed by the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners comes on the heels of testimony from volunteers across the state condemning this package of bills and urging state elected officials to support, not harm, election administration as part of their legislative priorities.
“Not only do these bills work to take rights away from voters, but they demonstrate a clear lack of understanding of existing election law and procedures in our state,” said Justin Hodge, Washtenaw County Commissioner, District 5. “These bills would harm voting rights and elections, particularly within communities of color and lower-income communities. It is critical that we all take action now to protect our democracy.”
“As elected officials ourselves, we have a duty to listen to the voices of the voters who put us in office,” said Jason Morgan, Washtenaw County Commissioner, District 8. “In 2018, voters overwhelmingly supported the expansion of voting rights by nearly 67 percent – something these bills, and our state legislators, simply cannot ignore.”
Michigan saw its largest ever voter turnout in 2020. Efforts by some groups to allege fraud have been refuted time and again by legislative committees, judges in multiple cases and investigations by reporters.
These bills come on the heels of a historically successful election, where Michigan voters made their voice clear about election reform issues. A supermajority of Michigan voters – 67% – supported expanding access to the ballot through the Promote the Vote Proposal 3 ballot initiative in 2018. More than 5.5 million Michiganders exercised their constitutional right to vote in the 2020 presidential election — the most ever and the highest percentage of voting-age residents to cast a ballot in 60 years. Of those voters, 3.2 million cast their ballot by absentee. Over 250 audits at state and local levels showed that this election was safe, secure, and accurate.
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Voters Not Politicians is a nonpartisan advocacy organization that works to strengthen democracy by engaging people across Michigan in effective citizen action. Learn more at www.votersnotpoliticians.com.
