This week, along party lines, the Michigan Senate passed a package of bills establishing the Michigan Voting Rights Act (MVRA), which aims to establish state-level voting protections.
Key Points:
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- Senate Bills 961 – 964 were introduced by Senators Darrin Camilleri (D-Brownstown), Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield), Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit), and Erika Geiss (D-Taylor).
- The package was developed with input from Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and numerous advocacy organizations, including the NAACP Michigan State Conference and the Brennan Center for Justice.
- The bills are reintroductions from the prior term, which passed the Senate but didn’t receive a vote in the House of Representatives.
The legislation would:
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- Prohibit voter denial, dilution, and/or suppression and provide remedies for violations.
- Create a nonpartisan and transparent voter institute and database to provide a center for research, training, and information on voting systems and election administration, with easy-to-access information in one location.
- Require and expand the jurisdictions that must translate election-related information into languages other than English.
- Enhance and clarify protections for voters with disabilities or who otherwise need assistance to vote.
