Michigan voting issues
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Contents
Election and registration information
- Voting info and FAQs from Michigan Secretary of state.
- Michigan Voter Information Center from Michigan Secretary of state.
Voter ID requirement
Due to a recent court ruling, every Michigan voter must present picture identification at the polls, or sign an affidavit attesting that he or she is not in possession of picture identification.
- Prepare for Election Day
Remember to bring an acceptable form of photo identification to the polls on Election Day. If you don't have photo ID you can still vote (see Voting Without Photo ID below).
Your photo ID does not need to have your address on it. In addition, the name on your identification card may be a shorter form of your name. For example, "Bill" for "William" and "Kathy" for "Katherine" are acceptable.
After showing your photo ID to the poll worker and signing the application, you may cast your ballot.
- Voting Without Photo ID
If you do not have photo ID, you can still cast a ballot simply by signing an affidavit. The affidavit can be used by:
- Voters who have photo ID but didn't bring it to the polls
Once you sign the affidavit, you may cast your ballot. It will be counted with all other ballots on Election Day.
- Getting a State ID Card
If you do not have a driver's license or other acceptable photo identification, you can get a state identification card at your local Secretary of State branch office for $10.
State ID cards are free to individuals who are 65 or older or who are blind. Cards are also free to those who have had driving privileges terminated due to a physical or mental condition, or who can show another good cause for the fee waiver.
Proof of identity and residency are required when applying for a state ID card.
Provisional voting
Poll workers may decide you cannot vote if they think you do not look like your photo ID. If you are told you cannot vote you can demand to vote with a provisional ballot. If you vote provisionally you have six days to bring acceptable ID to election officials.[1]
Voting machines
2008 election
For the 2008 election Michigan used the following voting machines. For a county-by-county list of the specific machines (and the source for this section) see Verified Voting's Verifier tool.
- Main article: Voting machines
Optical scan machines:
Assistive Devices for Marking Paper Ballots:
Governmental election authorities
Michigan Department of State: Terri Lynn Land
Website: http://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-1633---,00.html
Contact information:
- Mailing address: Michigan Department of State, Lansing, MI 48918
- Department of State Information Center toll-free number: (888) SOS-MICH; (888) 767-6424
- Media inquiries should contact the Office of Communications at (517) 373-2520
Election threats
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State and local non-governmental election organizations
League of Woman Voters
LWV of Michigan, Jessica Reiser, President
- 8200 Museum Drive, Suite 104
- Lansing, MI 48933-1997
- Phone: 517-484-5383
- Fax: 517-484-3086
- E-mail: office@lwvmi.org
- http://www.lwvmi.org/
Local Leagues:
- Alpena County
- Ann Arbor Area
- Berrien & Cass Counties
- Copper Country
- Dearborn-Dearborn Heights
- Delta County
- Detroit
- Detroit Metro Area (ILO)
- Flint Area
- Grand Haven Area
- Grand Traverse,Antrim,Benzie,Leelanau and Kalkaska
- Grosse Pointe
- Holland Area
- Kalamazoo Area
- Lansing Area
- Macomb County MAL Unit
- Manistee County
- Midland Area
- Mt. Pleasant Area
- Northwest Wayne County
- Oakland Area
- Saginaw County
- Troy
Michigan Election Reform Alliance
Description: The Michigan Election Reform Alliance (MERA) is a non-profit, non-partisan, pro-democracy, grassroots organization dedicated to the realization of election processes that consistently uphold the principles of democracy to ensure the confidence of voters and maximize representation of all citizens of the United States of America.[2]
Contact information:
- Please see the list of contacts at the MERA About page.
Resources
Articles and resources
See also
- The main page on election protection and reform organizations.
- All articles in the Election Protection Wiki project.
- For election day: Things citizens can do to monitor elections and If you are told you cannot vote.
References
- ↑ Information on Michigan's provisional voting rules is difficult to find. This information comes from "Michigan voters beware: Secretary of State’s voter ID ruling inspires mistrust", Michigan Messenger, September 2, 2008.
- ↑ From MERA website About page. Retrieved September 17, 2008.
External resources
Poll location
- GoVote.org locates your polling place and other voting information.
- Google map polling locations locates most polling location, may be missing or out of date.
Election Protection hotlines
- 866-OUR-VOTE (National Election Protection Hotline)
- 888-VE-Y-VOTA (Español)
- 800-966-5946 (AALDEF, Asian languages)
- 866-MYVOTE1 (Tom Joyner Hotline - VoterAction, NAACP National Voter Fund)
- 877-523-2792 (ACLU Voting Rights Project Hotline)
- 877-US4-OBAMA (Obama campaign Voter Hotline)
- 866-976-VOTE (McCain campaign Honest and Open Election hotline - leave a message)
- 877-GOCNN08 (CNN Voter Problem Tipline)
- 888-VOTE-TIP (VelvetRevolution Election Protection Hotline for fraud)
- 567-258-VOTE (Twitter Vote Report key in report or leave audio message)
Voting information
- Vote411.org from the League of Women Voters provides all kinds of information to help you vote.
Voting rights
- ACLU's "Know Your Voting Rights - State by State" -- printable brochures summarizing your voting rights, for most states.
- One-page know your rights summaries for 27 states from the AFL-CIO.
Voting requirements
- Click here to see the voter ID requirements in all states. From the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Election officials, election reform groups, and elected officials
- Why Tuesday? offers a page for Michigan that helps locate Michigan's elections officials, election reform groups, and elected officials, as well as a page titled Find a group in your area that lets you find similar information for other states.
Absentee voting
- Click here to request an absentee ballot. Go Vote Absentee is a project of the Women Donors Network.
Disabled voters
- Information for voters with disabilities from NDRN.
Student voting rights
- See Michigan Student Voting Rights for a guide to student voting rights in Michigan. See Student Voting Rights for a guide to other states. From the Brennan Center for Justice.
State ballot
- See how organizations you trust recommend you vote on ballot measures and other statewide contests at TransparentDemocracy.
Languages
- Help in other languages from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. 中文, 日本語, 한국어, Tagalog, Tiếng Việt, Español
Voting machines
- Verified Voting's Michigan page, which provides detailed information on voting equipment in use in every county in Michigan.
Election law
- Election Law @ Moritz's Michigan page, which provides detailed information on election law developments in Michigan. See map page to see the information for election developments in any given state.
- Election Law @ Moritz's Michigan general information page, which provides information on Michigan election authorities, post-election processes, and other topics. See map page to see this information for any given state.
Voter Protection Laws in A Nutshell
Voter ID Toolkit
Verify registration
External articles
- "Michigan denies removing eligible voters from rolls" Freep.com (20081009)