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10/24/2004: "Michigan's disenfranchised voters"

While being trained as an election inspector, I was informed of a pending difficulty. Many Michigan residents will be unable to vote.

There is a law in Michigan that states that it is illegal to be registered to vote at one address while holding a drivers license at another address. Many UM college students would move to Ann Arbor and change their voter's address and their driver's license address. No problem there.

Then, they'd hear from the auto insurance company. Their rates would rise. To save money, they would change their driver's license address back to their parents homes. The State of Michigan Secretary of State would notice this and inform the Ann Arbor City Clerk that the student moved back home with mom and dad. Thus, the the City of Ann Arbor would remove the student from the voter rolls. And unless the student explicitly filled out another voter registration card back home, that student would not be re registered there. Final result? That student can not legally vote anywhere.

My reaction? As an election inspector, I am going to enforce the law. If they are not on the rolls, the best they will be able to do is cast a provisional ballot. And I don't have that much sympathy for them. Ignorance of the law is no excuse. If they think that it's all too complicated, perhaps they should get involved and work to rightsize government.

For the record, Michigan's Secretary of State, Terri Lynn Land, is a Republican. Michigan's Governor, Jennifer Granholm, is a Democrat. Just about every elected official in Ann Arbor government is a Democrat.