Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson’s “citizenship checkbox” on voter applications are confusing, inconsistently implemented, and may be used to intimidate voters, says the nonpartisan Michigan Election Coalition.
In a letter today, the coalition urged Johnson to stop requiring voters to affirm citizenship in order to receive a ballot. The requirement–which was rejected by Governor Rick Snyder in July–is “duplicative, unnecessary, and ineffective. And many citizens who voted in the Primary Election can attest: it is also confusing and poorly implemented,” said Jocelyn Benson, MEC co-chair in a press release today.
“Michigan law already requires that applicants to vote confirm their U.S. citizenship, under penalty of perjury, when they register to vote,” wrote the coalition in a letter to Johnson. “The citizen checkbox arbitrarily imposes a duplicative and unnecessary citizenship affirmation requirement on registered voters. It does nothing to enhance the integrity of the voting process. On the contrary, it impedes a free and fair election.”
“The checkbox is simply a solution in search of a problem. Secretary of State Johnson’s crusade against non-existent voter fraud is shamefully transparent,” said Kary L. Moss, ACLU of Michigan executive director. “There is much more evidence that citizens are disenfranchised by these measures than there is evidence of individual voter fraud. In order for this to be a true democracy, every eligible American must be able to vote and every voice must be heard regardless of its political affiliation. ”
The coalition includes ACLU of Michigan, A. Phillip Randolph Institute, Fair Elections Legal Network, NAACP Michigan State Conference, Michigan Center for Election Law, AFT Michigan, League of Women Voters of Michigan, Progress Michigan, SEIU Michigan State Council, Common Cause Michigan, Michigan Election Reform Alliance, Project Vote, and International Union, UWA.
One Responses to “Voting Rights Groups Urge Michigan Secretary of State to Ban Citizenship Checkbox”
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How is that disenfranchising? If someone is not confident enough in their citizenship, or scared off by a checkbox, then I for one and I believe speak for MANY others, don’t feel bad to lose their vote. On the other hand, if the ACLU and other groups have an issue with checking a box, what does that tell us about what you apparently already know, that people not legitimate citizens are showing up to vote, either for someone else that they know isn’t voting, or for themselves. Everytime I sign onto a library computer I have to agree to abide by the Michigan and library code of conduct and laws and that I realize not all my activities are not automatically private. EVERYTIME. Does that disenfranchise me from my right to use a library computer. Maybe so, if I intend to violate the library usage policies. But isn’t that the point, to have record of my acceptance and agreement to the rules. There are constitutionally-based rules for voting, and requiring voters to acknowledge their understanding of these to me is no violation of their civil rights.