Casting a ballot in Michigan just became easier now that all voters can request an absentee ballot.  The next election scheduled is May 7, 2019, and those voters wanting to avoid lines and outdated voting machines can begin requesting an absentee ballot – and don’t need to have a special reason for doing so.

For years, voters had to meet one of the six criteria to be eligible for an absentee ballot.  Those criteria included being:  60 years old or older; expecting to be absent from the community in which you are registered for the entire time the polls are open on Election Day; physically unable to attend the polls without assistance from another; unable to attend the polls because of the tenets of your religion; confined to jail awaiting arraignment or trial; or being appointed an election inspector in a precinct other than the precinct where you reside. Many voters who wanted to vote early, but didn’t meet the criteria, likely just checked the “I’ll be out of town box”.  It was shady, but a pretty unenforceable practice.

Because of relaxed enforcement, as well as the popularity of early and no-reason absentee voting in other states, a number of Michigan legislators had tried unsuccessfully for years to eliminate the requirements.  It was a bi-partisan effort, but the debate over changing the law pitted some colleagues of the same party against each other – causing intense debates.  Some opponents to changing the law claimed that it would benefit one party over another, while others expressed concern about voter fraud.  However, neither concern resonated with both Republican and Democratic voters as they overwhelmingly adopted Proposal 3 of 2018 by a 67% to 33% margin.  The new law allows for no-reason absentee voting and other election law changes.

Absentee voting is popular.  In 2018, over 1.2 million Michigan residents received absentee ballots, up from the previous 2014 mid-term election for which 783,000 absentee ballots were sent out.  That’s an increase of 55%, a huge jump even before the new no-reason absentee voting began.

I still like going to my polling place on Election Day.  The line has always been short, the election workers friendly, and there’s just a sense of excitement when hiding behind the circa 1960 plastic voting booth to do something that not everyone in the world gets to do.  However, I’m also a believer in making it as easy as possible for residents to cast a vote.  All of us should be participating in the process of selecting our leaders, so let’s give folks access to all different types of ways to do so – as long as the process provided is of the highest integrity.

While no-reason absentee voting is the first step in providing an easier way to vote, it won’t be the last change we experience as more people push creative ways to foster public engagement.

With the new law in place, the question that many are asking is, “Will you vote in the traditional old-school manner of visiting your precinct or will you participate by requesting a no-reason absentee ballot?”  I’m eager to see what the forthcoming elections bring.

Michigan Legislative Consultants is a bipartisan lobbying firm based in Lansing, Michigan. Our team of lobbyists and procurement specialists provide a wide range of services for some of the most respected companies in America. For more on MLC, visit www.mlcmi.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.