Michigan Civil Rights Commission Publicly Opposes Federal Interference in Elections

For Immediate Release

MUSKEGON, MI - At their quarterly meeting today in Muskegon, the Michigan Civil Rights Commission unanimously passed a resolution to oppose the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE America Act), a federal bill aimed at changing the way Americans register to vote. The resolution also opposed a ballot initiative to amend the Michigan Constitution as well as HB7645, both of which would require documentary proof of citizenship, such as passports and birth certificates.

In the document, Resolution in Opposition to Improper Federal Interference in Elections and in Support of Voting Rights, the Commission states that, "…substantial evidence demonstrates that millions of eligible United States citizens lack immediate access to such documentation due to cost, administrative burden, name discrepancies, or historical deficiencies in recordkeeping… the burdens imposed by such requirements would fall disproportionately on historically marginalized communities."

"The Michigan Civil Rights Commission fundamentally believes that elections at every level should be fair, transparent, and accessible," said Commission Chair Luke Londo. "Michigan has consistently demonstrated integrity and accessibility in its elections. While we appreciate that only United States citizens should be eligible to vote, current state and federal laws already codify this, and any additional restrictions on these guidelines challenge the foundational principles of democracy and represent a naked attempt to suppress the vote of vulnerable and diverse populations."

The full resolution is available on the Department's website at https://www.michigan.gov/mdcr. During the meeting the Commission also discussed a report from the Office of the Auditor General on the effectiveness of investigations within the Michigan Department of Civil Rights.

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The Michigan Civil Rights Commission was created by the Michigan Constitution to safeguard constitutional and legal guarantees against discrimination. The Commission is charged with investigating alleged discrimination against any person because of religion, race (including hair texture and protective hairstyles), color, national origin, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, familial status, height, weight, arrest record, disability, and source of income in housing cases. The Michigan Department of Civil Rights serves as the operational arm of the Commission. Find more information on the Michigan Department of Civil Rights at michigan.gov/mdcr