LANSING, Mich., Aug. 17, 2021 — The Michigan House passed three hasty election bills today which hinge on the false pretense that our elections are fraudulent, despite more than 250 audits of Michigan’s 2020 election concluding that it was free and fair.
“We’re here today wasting our time making laws about elections that make no real changes, they just feed a lie,” said House Democratic Leader Donna Lasinski (D-Scio Township). “These bills and the speed with which they are being pushed through tell Michiganders clearly that they are just an attempt to stoke fear and paranoia. Scoring cheap political points with these manufactured, divisive issues instead of doing real work on the budget to support Michigan’s small businesses and working families is disrespectful to our institution.”
- House Bill 4837 would prevent third parties from accessing the qualified voter file, which is already prohibited under current law.
- House Bill 4838 would prohibit electronic poll books or voting systems from being connected to the internet during elections, despite internet connections already being disallowed.
- House Bill 4840 would require that ballots from any state or federal election be preserved for 22 months, which is already required under current law for federal elections and the addition of every state election would present unnecessary logistical challenges.
“These bills are a solution in search of a problem,” said state Rep. Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth). “They further feed the Big Lie and are intended to cause confusion among voters. As the leading democracy in the world, we have a proud history of free and fair elections. With so much important work to do, we shouldn’t be wasting time and taxpayer dollars on legislation addressing problems that don’t exist.”
All three bills passed a vote in the House today and have been sent to the Senate for consideration.
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