Lansing, MI. — Today, the Michigan House Committee on Elections and Ethics is scheduled to hear SB 303 and SB 304, which would make it more difficult for voters to vote in person, requiring voters to present a photo ID to have their vote counted. Both bills will advance to the full House. The Michigan Secretary of State does not support either of the bills.  

Statement of Quentin Turner, Policy Director of Common Cause Michigan 

There is no more sacred right in our democracy than the right to vote in free and fair elections. 

Today’s vote by Republican legislative leaders is about silencing the will of the voters and rigging the rules of the game for partisan advantage.  

These bills do nothing but increase barriers for voters to be heard by their government, particularly for seniors, the homeless, students, and low-income voters. These voter suppression bills are a solution in search of a problem that does not exist and only create more confusion and distrust among voters. 

By complicating longstanding Michigan voter ID laws that Michiganders across the political spectrum have relied on to have their voice count, Republican state legislators are engaging in anti-democratic practices that destroy the integrity of our elections, and, ultimately, voters’ faith in government.  

We urge the full House to swiftly reject this attack on our voting rights.