Michigan Democrats are proposing a constitutional amendment to expand early voting that’s unlikely to gain support in the Republican-controlled legislature. The measure announced Wednesday calls for “no-reason” absentee voting and in-person early voting starting 15 days before an election. Another provision would provide for automatic voter registration for people issued a driver’s license or state ID card.
Democratic Representatives Gretchen Driskell, of Saline, and Jon Hoadley, of Kalamazoo, call their proposal a “voter bill of rights.” They say voting access must be improved especially after Republicans eliminated straight-party voting in January. A spokesman for House Speaker Kevin Cotter says the resolution has been referred to committee. The constitutional amendment would need support from two-thirds of the House
and Senate by September 9 to qualify for a statewide vote in November.
