LANSING, Mich., July 26, 2022 — Today, state Reps. Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth), Alex Garza (D-Taylor) and Stephanie A. Young (D-Detroit), and Canton Township Clerk Michael Siegrist held a press conference in Plymouth to address ways to improve our elections process. House Democrats have introduced a collection of legislation aimed at protecting the right to vote; securing fair, transparent and accessible elections; and addressing the concerns of municipal and county clerks. Legislative leadership has refused to take up the bills. The press conference included a discussion of the introduced bills, the election reform requests made by the clerks and other election issues.
“The August primary election is one week away, and we still have not seen movement on these common-sense reforms. House Democrats have introduced legislation that addresses the clerks’ requested changes and other reasonable election reforms — however, legislative leadership has yet to consider it,” said Koleszar, Democratic vice chair of the House Elections and Ethics Committee. “Hardworking clerks throughout the state have told us what they need to best deliver the elections process Michiganders deserve, and we’re hard at work to deliver that.”
“Free and fair elections should not be a partisan issue. Michigan voters deserve the best we can deliver when it comes to an efficient, modern, and secure voting process and it’s disappointing that we are not doing all we can to deliver that to them,” Garza said.
“The people who make our democracy work, the clerks on the frontlines of the election system, have been clear about what they need. There are tools and timelines we aren’t providing them and there is no excuse for withholding the help they need,” Young said.
Video of the press conference can be found here.