Vexed voters
The American Civil Liberties Union's recent lawsuit against Michigan highlights one of the many ways voters can slip through the cracks.
The lawsuit, against two policies that could deprive citizens of their voting rights, targets an inexcusably hazardous bureaucratic measure.
Though state officials say the policies are in accordance with federal laws and have been in effect since 1975, that explanation overlooks the larger problem - that the Michigan laws too quickly deny citizens their right to vote.
There are two contentious policies: The Michigan Department of State immediately cancels voters' registration once they acquire an out-of-state driver's license, and the Secretary of State nullifies new voter registrations if voter cards are returned by the post office and marked undeliverable.
Either policy could result in a rude awakening on Election Day.
It's understandable that the Department of State wants to keep updated and accurate records, but the policies are needlessly draconian. Voting laws should aim to increase accessibility as much as reasonably possible. Creating a labyrinth of potentially disenfranchising paperwork does not work toward this objective.
Moreover, as an ACLU representative mentioned, Michigan's laws most affect those who are transient, including students who spend some time out of state or who change residences. Likewise, people who have lost their homes are likely to have their voter cards marked undeliverable.
The potential exclusion of countless overlooked residents should be reason enough to revamp such harsh legislation. It's not enough to scrape by and contend that Michigan's voter laws are at least not federally illegal - the state needs to be proactive in revamping its own legislation to best serve citizens.
An ACLU lawsuit is not needed to point out the absurdity of these policies.
Permitting a grace period, during which citizens still can vote despite having recently violated one of those two policies, would be more sensible and would permit a reasonable bookkeeping scheme but not abruptly cut off voters' rights.
In the meantime, however, the Michigan Department of State should do all it can to make these policies widely known. The legislation is abrupt, but the more citizens know about it, the less likelihood they will fall victim to it.
Michigan residents who plan to vote but have changed residence or license should also check the status of their voter registration. A quick phone call now can save a frustrating denial on Election Day.
