- The Michigan Voting Rights Act will expand upon the federal Voting Rights Act and add new protections for Michigan voters.
- It includes the State Voting Rights Act, the Voting and Elections Database and Institute Act, the Language Assistance for Elections Act, and Michigan Election law.
- Video shows community members discussing the bill package and what it would mean for our neighborhoods.
"We work to spread the news about our voting rights and all the impacts and improvements."
Micheal Davis Jr. Is the executive director for Promote the Vote, a coalition of organizations that work with historically disenfranchised voting communities to improve their rights.
"This year, Michigan voters had the right to nine days of early voting, voting by mail, and voting being more accessible for our military and overseas voters."
And with the Primary and Presidential elections coming up, State Senators are also looking to continue those efforts to improve voting rights in marginalized communities.
The bill package deemed the Michigan Voting Rights Act or the MVRA will bring state protections to voting rights for our neighbors.
Democratic State Senators say this bill comes after the decision on Shelby County vs Holder, a 2013 Federal Supreme Court case that gave state's the authority to determine voting legislation without federal oversight.
The MVRA would expand upon the original Federal Voting Rights Act with additions for Michigan voters.
"It would expand protections for voters with disabilities, enshrine robust protections against voter suppression into law, also expand language assistance with limited voter proficiency, curbside voting, and many more advances to our election systems."
During the committee meeting of the bills back in June, opponents of the bill said that this would put added pressure on election clerks who help with the election process.
"Senate bill 402 would create a huge new bureaucracy under the Secretary of State, which, it would seem to me, essentially exists to help facilitate people suing our local units of governments and our hardworking clerks," Senator Ruth A. Johnson of Holly. "These bills would cost taxpayers millions of dollars and create new obstacles for clerks and local units of government, which is simply unnecessary."
Davis Jr says that the bill package is meant to increase using your voice for things that matter to our neighbors.
"Voters have more options than ever before to when it comes to registering to vote and voting on Election Day and before Election Day."
The bill package has to be voted on once more by the Senate committee before it heads over to the House chambers.
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