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Bills to speed voter registration up for first hearing

Jodi Westrick
/
Michigan Radio

The Michigan House of Representatives is expected to act Tuesday on voting rights bills intended to make it easier for more people to vote.

The House daily floor agenda includes bills to allow hiring vehicles to give voters rides to the polls without risking prosecution and for military voters to return absentee ballots electronically. Also, the House Elections committee will hold a hearing on bills intended to boost turnout. They include automatically registering 18-year-olds with a driver’s license or state ID. The same would apply for people who sign up for health benefits through the state.

“We just want to have as many people registered to vote as we possibly can in the state of Michigan,” said Representative Penelope Tsernoglou (D-East Lansing), who chairs the elections committee.

These bills follow up on laws signed in July by Governor Gretchen Whitmer to permit early voting and require local governments to install ballot drop boxes for people who vote absentee.

House Republicans did not respond to requests for comment on the bills, which are all sponsored by Democrats.

Rick Pluta is Senior Capitol Correspondent for the Michigan Public Radio Network.