Mayes Supports Plan To Allow Early Voting
Polling Sites Would Be Open For Three Days Before Election Day
December 6, 2008
1 Comments
By: MyBayCity Staff
PRESS RELEASE: In a move to enable more Michigan residents to exercise their constitutional right to vote and to reduce problems at the polls, State Representative Jeff Mayes (D-Bay City) joined the State House of Representatives on Thursday in passing a plan to allow voters to cast their ballots on the Friday, Saturday and Monday before Election Day.
"We all lead busy lives and because of work, family and other obligations, many Michigan voters simply cannot make it to the polls during the limited time provided," Mayes said. "It is imperative that we make this important right as trouble-free as possible. By giving Michigan residents an increased opportunity to vote we will show that our great state truly values the opinion of our residents."
The plan will require municipalities to open at least one polling place for at least eight hours on the Friday, Saturday and Monday immediately preceding Election Day. The sites would be designated by the city, township or village clerk, and all usual laws pertaining to Election Day, including the mandatory presence of least one inspector, would apply.
Michigan's neighbors, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin are among the 31 states that already allow some form of early voting, whether in person or by mail, and consistently report higher voter turn out than states that do not allow early voting.
"Many Michigan residents stood in long lines on Nov. 4 to exercise their most important right as American citizens," Mayes said. "By allowing more residents to vote in advance, we can help shorten Election Day lines and increase the number of people who participate in this important process."
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sueq327 Says:
On December 15, 2008
at 09:18 AM
I am disappointed that Rep. Mayes has taken this direction to undermine the election process for the sake of convenience.
Early voting is a terrible idea on serveral levels. An election is an event of communal pride, not a simple acto of convenience. The Committee for the Study of the American electorate has said that easy absentee voting, for example, has no effect on turnout. It may even slightly decrease it, because voters have to be mobilized over a period of time instead of just one single day.
Early voting also allows voters to cast their ballots before they might receive telling information or important insights into the candidates. Jeff Jacoby has written that having people vote early "is rather like having a judge announce that any juror may vote and go home" when he or she decides that enough evidence has been heard. This is not a good way to make decisions.
I'll give Mayes credit for not advocating a liberalization of absentee voting, because that could surely lead to more voter fraud. Truth is, I'm fed up with mediocre candidates, gerrymandered districts and uncompetitive elections. Nevertheless, I believe in voting on Election Day and not before, because it's our collective time for choosing.
Let's keep it that way.
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