New laws will make it harder to commit election fraud in Michigan. | stock photo
New laws will make it harder to commit election fraud in Michigan. | stock photo
Sen. Kevin Daley (R-Lum) introduced legislation that would protect against election fraud in Michigan.
“The people of Michigan need to have confidence that their elections are being conducted honestly and that they can trust the results — win or lose,” Daley said, according to MiSenateGOP. “With the secretary of state’s recent decision to mail absentee ballot request forms to every name on their lists, we need to increase efforts that ensure our elections are not compromised.”
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced in May that she would be sending absentee ballot applications to each of Michigan's 7.7 million registered voters.
Sen. Kevin Daley
| #MiSenateGOP
Daley said there is great concern about the integrity of the election system right now.
Senate Bills 977 and 978 would make it a felony for someone to knowingly submit another person's name or personal identity information on a ballot application or knowingly submit an absentee ballot application in an attempt to attain multiple ballots. Making a false statement on an absentee ballot application would be a misdemeanor.
“Elections are an important part of our form of government, and we need to take them seriously. Our government is based off the idea that the people choose their elected voices,” Daley said, according to MiSenateGOP. “This is a good step toward decreasing illegal activity and protecting the integrity and security of our votes. This legislation makes it clear that anyone who tries to rig our elections will have to pay the price for their actions.”
The bills now move to the Michigan House of Representatives for consideration.
All registered voters in Michigan have the right to vote by mail to protect their health and safety, and the process is secure and accurate, according to Michigan.gov. Michigan election and voter information can be found at Michigan.gov., where voters can verify their registration or register to vote, request and track an absentee ballot, view a sample ballot or find their polling place.