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The House Elections and Ethics Committee recently heard from Sen. Kevin Daley (R-Lum), who gave testimony on legislation that would help keep elections in Michigan secure, according to MiSenateGOP.

“There is a lot of concern about election integrity within our system right now,” said Daley, according to MiSenateGOP. “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. 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.” 

Introduced by Daley in June, Senate Bills 977 and 978 would make it a felony for a person to submit an absentee voter ballot application using another person's name and personal information, and would also create a new felony crime for submitting an absentee voter ballot application with the intent to obtain multiple absentee voter ballots on behalf of an organization. 

Sen. Kevin Daley | #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,” Daley told MiSenateGOP.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced in May that she would use federal coronavirus pandemic funding to mail absentee ballot applications to each of the state’s 7.7 million registered voters, according to MiSenateGOP.

The committee is expected to continue taking testimony on Daley’s legislation in the coming weeks.

Daley also recently voted in support of the bipartisan "Return to Learn" plan to help ensure the safety of Michigan students as school resumes this fall. The plan requires that school districts develop health and safety guidelines for in-person instruction based on local data and in consultation with county health departments, according to MiSenateGOP.