(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signs bills putting early voting in Michigan law [1] [] Date: 2023-07-18 Lansing — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed eight bills Tuesday that carry out a constitutional amendment voters approved in November and require at least nine days of early voting across the state in future elections. Supporters have described the legislation as implementing the "biggest change in how we vote in a generation." Traditionally, Michiganians have cast their ballots at polling places on Election Day or used absentee ballots, which weren't tallied by officials until Election Day. Under the new laws, clerks can begin providing early, in-person voting within 29 days of an election. Clerks can also work together to provide joint sites where ballots can be filled out and fed into tabulators before Election Day. The proposals were the result of a voting rights-focused constitutional amendment, Proposal 2, which passed with 60% support. Early voting is expected to be piloted in some jurisdictions in the November election. It will be required statewide, starting next year. "Today, I am proud to sign bipartisan legislation implementing the will of the people, ensuring they can make their voices heard in every election," Whitmer said Tuesday in a statement. "Let’s keep fighting to expand the constitutional right to vote freely, fairly and securely with commonsense reforms so we can build a government of the people that delivers for the people.” Whitmer, a Democrat, announced the signing of the bills through a press release and didn't hold a public ceremony where questions about the new policies could be asked. Lawmakers in the Democratic-controlled state Legislature, clerks, voting rights groups and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson's office have worked on bills to implement the early voting changes over the last five months. "This was a thoughtful, bipartisan effort and I’m grateful to the leaders in both chambers for getting this done," Benson said Tuesday. "We are ready to work with Michigan’s clerks to implement these new laws in time for next year’s elections.” Some Republicans, including House Minority Leader Matt Hall of Richland Township and state Sen. Ruth Johnson of Holly, a former secretary of state, have criticized the new laws, arguing they will weaken election integrity. Johnson has also blasted the idea that some counties in Michigan might have more than 20 days of early voting while others have the minimum: nine days. "This uncalled-for overhaul will undermine our elections and create new risks for fraud," Hall said previously. The constitutional amendment required each city or township to install a drop box and said voters in Michigan had the right to state-funded postage for absentee ballots and applications for those ballots. Supporters of the changes contended that they will make voting easier, provide more options and help get clerks release results faster on election night. By allowing voters to cast ballots into tabulators ahead of Election Day and authorizing the pre-processing and early tabulation of absentee ballots, larger portions of results are expected to be available sooner after polls close. The changes "will allow for our accurate election results to be published much quicker and further instill confidence that our voting systems work," said state Sen. Jeremy Moss, D-Southfield, one of the sponsors of the new laws. Under the new laws, Michigan returns to the forefront of states with "well-balanced election systems, offering voters secure voting and increased access to the ballot box," said Chris Thomas, who served as Michigan's elections director for longer than three decades. Among the bills signed on Tuesday were proposals to establish a website for voters to track their ballots and to make disclosing a result from an early voting site before Election Day a felony. cmauger@detroitnews.com [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/michigan/2023/07/18/early-voting-michigan-election-law-governor-gretchen-whitmer-secretary-state-jocelyn-benson/70425973007/ Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/