Michigan civic groups are discussing upcoming election law updates and legislative action expected for 2025. Promote The Vote, a nonpartisan organization aiming to advance Michiganders’ voting rights, hosted a press conference Wednesday to discuss the future of voting in Michigan.
Micheal Davis Jr., executive director of Promote The Vote, said during the discussion that “anti-voter groups” are seeking to roll back recent election reforms that have made voting more accessible to eligible voters.
In light of possible future policy changes, some members of Promote The Vote focused on reform that has been passed by the state legislature and signed into law already. Melanie Macey, Promote the Vote's policy and government affairs director, said election law taking effect this year aims to enhance voter registration, ballot return processes, election security, and administrative procedures.
One of the upcoming election law changes is a firearm ban at polling places and election sites. Macey said new laws will expand online voter registration and allow for electronic absentee ballot return for active duty service members.
“Voters who have May elections will already have greater peace of mind at the polls with the firearm restrictions,” Macey said. “And starting in July, individuals without a Michigan driver's license or state ID will be able to register online using the last four digits of their social security number, making voter registration more accessible.”
The Michigan Legislature also approved a package of bills in 2023 that modifies the process of automatic voter registration. Starting on June 30, automatic voter registration will be expanded to some state, federal, or tribal agencies that already collect information needed to register to vote.
Individuals who are convicted of specific election-related crimes, like disclosing election results prematurely or providing false voter registration information, will be prohibited from serving on state and county boards of canvassers, Macey said.
Election offices will also be able to print more ballots when needed after April 2. On-demand ballot printing systems are currently only allowed for early voting.
“The bottom line is that these new laws strengthen election security, accessibility, and administrative efficiency,” Macey said.
Paula Bowman, co-president of the League of Women Voters of Michigan, said one of the most significant election law changes of the year is that voter recounts will only be authorized after March 20 if the recount has the potential to change the result of an election. Bowman said this change is significant for election administrators and Michigan taxpayers.
“Now, election officials will no longer be required to waste their time on frivolous recounts and we, the taxpayers, won't be required to pay for them,” Bowman said.
Shams Al-Badry, civic engagement manager of the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services, spoke Wednesday about the implications of implementing on-demand printing at election sites. She said the change would particularly benefit voters who depend on ballots in languages other than English.
“Some cities may have been hesitant to offer translated ballots for logistical and financial challenges,” Al-Badry said. “That ballot on-demand availability could encourage additional locations to offer this important service to voters.”
Davis addressed current lawmakers’ attempts on the local and federal level to put more stringent voter identification requirements in place.
“We're going to continue to push back against attempts to undermine and strip away the right of eligible voters in Michigan to participate in the system,” Davis said.
Promote The Voter currently has a page on its website opposing House Joint Resolution B, which was introduced in January and would require Michigan voters to have proof of citizenship to vote in the state. The page says the resolution is “a direct attack on our voting rights that will ultimately prevent American citizens from voting.”
President Donald Trump also signed an executive order Tuesday that would require voters to show proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections and seeks to stop states from counting absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day but received afterward.
Legal experts like Sean Morales-Doyle, the voting rights director at the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonprofit that studies voting rights, have said they expect Trump’s order is illegal under existing federal voting law.
Macey spoke about what is next for Promote The Vote, mentioning that the organization is working on advancing some voting policies while also being receptive to what clerks would like to see changed and what legislators' current priorities are.
“So we've met with some legislators, and we are setting up meetings with additional legislators from both sides of the aisle, to talk about what their priorities are, and then to also pitch some of the ideas that we have on ways that we can make election administration more efficient for all,” Macey said.
