Committee Hears Testimony on Voter Reforms

Liz Gullett

Feb 12, 2021

Representative Julie Calley (R-Portland) testified before the House Election and Ethics Committee in support of her plan to remove old and outdated information from Michigan’s Qualified Voter File (QVF). According to her testimony, an audit of the state’s Bureau of Elections released in December 2019 highlighted the need for better procedures to remove or update information for voters.

The two-bill proposal would set up a procedure to update or remove records in the QVF if an individual hasn’t voted since the 2000 November general election or if the individual has a placeholder date of birth. The secretary of state would first send a notice asking the elector to provide a corrected address or date of birth, including a warning that his or her registration may be cancelled if the information is not provided. The card must be returned with a postmark of 15 days before the next election. If the voter does not return the card and does not engage in any voter activity in the in the following two general elections, the registration would be cancelled. The bills remain before the committee for consideration.

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