“Michigan voters have spoken loudly twice before that they want the option to vote a straight-party ballot. Unfortunately, House Republicans robbed them of that option last night when they pushed SB 13 through the house, and refused to accept any Democratic amendments to try and make the bill less onerous for voters.
“I represent Democrats, Republicans, Independents and people who don’t identify with any party. I also represent a district where more than half of the residents are 65 or older. This bill robs citizens of their liberty to have a choice in how they mark their ballot. We’ve gone back and forth on this, and twice before eliminated straight-ticket voting. But the one constant has been that voters have always chosen to go back to the ballot and restore their straight-ticket voting option. That can’t happen this time because Republicans added a $5 million appropriation to the bill making it referendum-proof. They’ve also made it harder on seniors–who may not see well or may have difficulty waiting in long lines while people take longer to vote – to mark their ballot.
“Voting should be simple and accessible. Yet, with one bill, Republicans have managed to trample on our voting rights twice by changing how we can vote our ballots, and taking away our right to repeal a law we don’t agree with. I voted no on SB 13 because my constituents didn’t send me to Lansing to infringe on their liberties.”