Michigan would end straight-ticket voting under a bill that cleared the state Senate on Tuesday.
Voters would no longer be able to fill in one dot to vote for all candidates representing one political party on a ballot.
Democrats are blasting the bill. They charge the move is politically motivated and say it would make it more difficult to vote.
“You could put this under the category of how to steal an election – but I don’t want to go that far,” said state Sen. Steve Bieda, D-Warren.
“But it is something that is fundamentally unfair and I think is fundamentally designed to usurp the voters.”
Republicans inserted a $1 million appropriation in the bill – which means it would not be subject to voter referendum. Sponsors claim the appropriation would help clerks explain the change to voters.
The bill now goes to the state House.
