Voting


Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson speaks at a press conference in Detroit on Sept. 24, 2020. (Daniel Mears/Detroit News via AP)
Michigan Has Made Big Strides on Voting Rights. Here’s What to Expect Next.

Michigan has made strong progress in protecting voters’ rights and access to the ballot box in recent years, especially compared to other states, advocates say. However, state lawmakers and national voting rights advocates aren’t becoming complacent, as they’re continuing to push for solutions to fill gaps in voter protections. 

The Americans with Disabilities Act, the Voting Rights Act and the Helping America Vote Act, as well as Michigan election laws, require accessible voting for all. The policies have been in place for decades. (Photo via iStock / Getty Images)
Poll Accessibility Could Mean 60 Million More Voters

Groups advocating for accessible voting want to spread awareness about how detrimental lack of access is to communities.

Voters check in at a polling station to cast their ballots in Detroit during the midterm elections. (Photo by Matthew Hatcher/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
‘Big Day for Democracy’: New Legislation to Cement Clear Voting Rights for All Michiganders 

Four new bills introduced last week by Democratic state lawmakers aim to combat discrimination and disinformation by firmly protecting Michiganders’ right to access the ballot. 

Poll workers assist voters at a precinct in Delhi Township on the day of the state’s primary election in 2022. (AP Photo/Mike Householder)
Report: Voting Reforms Make Michigan a National Model for Strengthening Democracy 

A report released Thursday by the left-leaning Center for American Progress (CAP) highlights Michigan’s election and voting reforms that, in turn, have resulted in increased public trust in government.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson testifies before the Senate Election and Ethics Committee on Thursday. (Kyle Kaminski/The 'Gander Newsroom)
Michigan Lawmakers to Turn Election Day into Election Week—With Nine Days of Early Voting 

Bills advancing in the legislature will align state law with a recent constitutional amendment to expand voting rights, and lawmakers say they’ll create a “historic new era of voter access” in Michigan.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks to members of the National Guard. (Governor Gretchen Whitmer via Facebook)
Whitmer Signs New Legislation to Expand Voting Rights for Michigan Military Members Overseas

New signed bipartisan legislation in Michigan will ensure that absentee ballots from military and overseas voters are counted up to six days after an election.

In this Dec. 23, 2009 file photo, United States Marine LCpl. Franklin Romans of Michigan, from the 2nd Battalion 2nd Marines "Warlords" searches a house during an operation in the Garmsir district of the volatile Helmand province, southern Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer, File)
Lawmakers Launch Plans to Expand Voting Rights in Michigan—Beginning with Military Families

New legislation aims to make it easier for military members and their families to make their voices heard on Election Day.