League of Women Voters member Sue Wilson answers questions about voting and hands out information during the LWV Making Democracy Work Town Hall Thursday at Lakeview Arena. (Journal photo by Trinity Carey)

By TRINITY CAREY

Journal Staff Writer

MARQUETTE — Voting is a basic right granted to all citizens of this country, but often people keep themselves from filling out a ballot due to a lack of understanding of the voting process.

To educate the community on new laws surrounding the voting process, the local League of Women Voters chapter held a series of Making Democracy Work Town Hall meetings this week.

Representatives from Lansing, local government and members of the league made presentations on new voting rights, the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission and the 2020 census during Thursday afternoon’s town hall at Lakeview Arena in Marquette.

Johnathan Brater, legal policy director for Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, discussed how the adoption of proposal 18-3 to the Michigan Constitution affects voting rights. The proposal allows for:

≤ A secret ballot.

≤ Timely distribution of absentee voting ballots to military personnel or those living overseas.

≤ Straight-party voting.

≤ Automatic voter registration. All eligible citizens will be automatically registered to vote if they conduct any business at the Secretary of State, unless they opt out.

≤ Registration to vote through Election Day. Voters can register by mail up to 15 days before an election, during the 14 days preceding an election and on Election Day in person with your township or city clerk.

≤ The extension of in-person registration to Election Day with proof of residency.

≤ No-reason absentee voting. Voters can apply for a ballot by downloading an app at www.michigan.gov.sos or in person at your local county clerk or Secretary of State office. Applications can be submitted in person or by mail to the clerk’s office.

≤ A statewide audit of election results. This ensures results recorded by tabulating machines match selections made on ballots.

The passage of this proposal helped to remove some of the barriers faced by voters, said Darlene Allen, president of the local League of Women Voters chapter. She hopes the LWV can help educate the community on voter rights and get people excited for upcoming elections. Educated voters create confident voters, she said.

“When you’re informed and you have the information you need, you’re more likely to take a step to act and go to the voting booth and vote, and so we want to provide that info,” Allen said. “Also, it helps voters choose issues and candidates that meet their personal values, that meet their personal goals, things that will help their families, their neighborhoods and communities, so if you’re informed about who you’re voting for, it helps you to make a better choice that fits for you, for each person.”

Redistricting was also discussed during the town hall. The Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission will draw district lines for the state Legislature and Michigan’s members of Congress. The commission will be comprised of 13 registered voters randomly selected through an application process. Four people who identify as Democrat, four who identify as Republican and five who identify as unaffiliated will make up the commission.

“It’s an opportunity for citizens to be involved in drawing fair lines to determine our representation across our state,” Allen said.

Those interested in being a part of the redistricting process can find an application at redistrictingmichigan.org. Applications will also be mailed randomly. Compensation equal to 25% of the governor’s salary will be provided.

In preparation for the 2020 census, town hall attendees learned about the importance of participating. The U.S. Constitution mandates everyone in the country be counted every 10 years. The goal is to count every person living in the U.S. once.

“The census determines how much federal money comes to local communities,” Allen said. “The census is used to make all sorts of decisions, so if we know where people are and how many people there are, that makes a critical difference. It also determines how many representatives we have in the U.S. (House of) Representatives.”

Census data helps to distribute more than $675 billion in federal funds and grants, and provides support to states, counties and communities. It also helps to redistrict states while taking into consideration population shifts.

“To make democracy work everybody needs to take part and be involved, and so we just really encourage people to learn about the issues, learn about the candidates, take the time to vote, talk to others about it and be active and be involved because we believe when everybody is involved we create the kind of communities and society that we’re comfortable with and we want to live in and we’re happy to live in,” she said.

Allen encouraged anyone age 16 and older to join the non-partisan LWV, which is open to all. For more information, visit lwvmqt.org or attend a league meeting, which takes place the first Wednesday of each month from 6-7:30 p.m. in the lower level of the Peter White Public Library in Marquette. Membership fees are currently being waived for students.

For Michigan voter information, visit michigan.gov/vote where you can view a sample ballot, determine your registration status, find your voting location, track your absentee ballot and more.

Trinity Carey can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 206. Her email address is tcarey@miningjournal.net.