KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Kalamazoo county commissioners took a small step against an effort to make it more difficult to register to vote in Michigan, and across the nation.
The vote was 6-to-3 approving a resolution opposing new efforts to require residents to prove citizenship to register to vote.
In Congress it’s called the SAVE America Act. In Michigan, petitions have been collected to hold a state referendum on a similar measure that would require that residents present a passport or a birth certificate to register to vote.
Currently all residents need is a driver’s license or state picture I.D.
Several speakers from voter advocacy groups urged commissioners to take a stand against what they called the anti-democratic efforts.
Resident Sherry Opelka, the YWCA’s Emily Britton and The League of Women Voter’s Aidee Clemons all spoke against the changes.
The commission split down party lines with Republicans, including John Gisler and Jeff Heppler, opposing the resolution.
Chair Jen Strebs says there’s a big difference between requiring voter ID and what is being proposed.
Strebs says she was adopted as a child, changed her name when she got married and as a victim of spousal abuse, had all her documents shredded by her ex-husband. She says it’s been very expensive and difficult to get them all replaced.
The resolution urges state officials to oppose such efforts, but if there are enough petition signatures, they won’t have any say on whether it goes on the ballot.
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