Change Your World Week Winter 2022 (Archived)

American democracy is in trouble. And only "we the people" have the power to fix it. A recent NPR/Ipsos poll found that 64 percent of Americans believe that U.S. democracy is “in crisis and at risk of failing” (Rose and Baker 2022). Without trust in the democratic process – of which elections are the centerpiece – we lose our peaceful means of resolving conflict and people resort to non-peaceful means. These pages are designed to investigate and raise awareness about the rules of elections in the United States – and in Michigan specifically – to identify ways in which they might be broken. Students chose one part of the registration/voting/election election process and evaluated it according to principles of fairness, integrity and equity. Then they drew conclusions about whether it needed to be fixed. If, in their investigation, they discovered that there was nothing broken, then they are raising awareness about the strength and durability of our elections, in hopes of solidifying public trust. If they found that the system needs repair, then they are advocating for a change in the rules among those who have the power to enact such changes: state legislators. By visiting these pages and signing petitions that you support, YOU can take action to restore trust in American democracy.

• 1 of 11 states that have non-strict photo ID laws.
• ID is required to vote. 
• Acceptable forms of ID's

Drivers License

MI state ID

Pictured Military ID

Pictured Tribal ID Card

Michigan Law for voters with no ID is simple.

The voter must sign a affidavit stating they have no photo identification in their possession. Once the affidavit is signed the voter will receive a regular ballot to vote.

* Visit the link below for more Michigan acceptable forms of Identification.

• 11 states  have strict photo ID and non photo ID laws.
  • If you don't have a acceptable form of ID, You must vote on provisional ballot. The voter will have so many days to return with a valid photo ID for their vote to be counted. 

• 14 States that have non-strict non photo ID laws.
  • These states requires a ID to vote but the ID does not necessarily have to have a picture.

• 16 states that requires no documentations or identification to vote. 

* Visit the link below to find out which states have strict photo and non-photo ID laws, non-strict non-photo ID laws, and the states that require no identification.

Michigan does not currently have a strict photo ID law. ID is requested, but if a person doesn't have it they are allowed to sign an affidavit affirming their identity, under threat of jail and/or fines if they're found to be falsifying their information. Only 0.2% of voters in the 2020 election opted to use the affidavit option.

Showing proof of identification when voting provides assurance that there is no fraud! There are several ways that a person could prove their identity when voting, for example: photography, finger print, signatures, personal information, drivers license, etc. There are many benefits of having a voters ID though, for example:

• Showing ID can reduce the chances of people voting more than once, or voting for someone else. 
• It identifies voting locations so you don't vote outside of your district.
• Voter ID ensures integrity with the voting process.
• You can use your driver's license. That reduces the cost of printing new cards and provides additional identification and will stop fraud in the community. If you get/have a voting ID you will be protecting the value of the votes for everyone that casts a ballot legally.
• Voter ID can be used as a type of identification if a voter doesn't have a fixed address
• You can get one while getting your drivers license or state identification

These are just several benefits of enforcing Voter ID at the polls. At the end of the day voter ID would strengthen voter rights by ensuring that voting is only being done by citizens of the United States who are legally registered to vote!

• One major concern surrounding voter identification laws is the ability these laws have to restrict voting access for an extremely large number of eligible voters. For some voters, including minorities and the physically disabled, obtaining the necessary forms of identification required to vote can be challenging. Being physically unable or not having the financial means to obtain a state issued ID or required documents to vote has the potential to discourage thousands of voters from wanting to voice their opinions and vote on election day. 
  
                                                  
   
• Another concern that arises within voter Identification laws is their effectiveness. Voter ID laws are enacted to limit and aid in the prevention of voter fraud occurring within our election process. 35 states including Michigan require voters to register prior to casting their ballot. Requiring a voter to show forms of personal identification at the polls is a redundant action to the voters registration process that already took place prior to the citizen physically voting. When a potential voter registers to vote with the state in which they live, their identity as a U.S. citizen is checked and verified, allowing that person the ability to vote. Requiring a voter to prove their right as a citizen to vote while at the polls can become wasteful of state and/or federal time and funds that could be directed to other important aspects within the voting process. 
  
                                                  

The status quo should be maintained. Strict voter ID laws should not be enacted in Michigan because:

• They are discriminatory. People of color, the poor, and the young can experience greater difficulty in obtaining proper identification.
• They are expensive. A 2020 Guardian article shows these sort of ineffectual voting restrictions cost the taxpayers millions of dollars.
• They are excessive. 99.8% of Michigan voters already bring their ID to vote. Creating a law to address only 0.2% of the population is overkill.
• They are unnecessary. Voter impersonation fraud is rare to the point of being almost non-existent. Voter ID laws are a solution looking for a problem.  

Michigan Lawmakers:

Over the years, Americans have lost their trust in democracy and general elections. Many people don't vote because they don't believe their vote will matter. After all, it seems politicians have, and follow, their own agendas instead of listening to their constituents. Citizens that do not trust their democracy is a problem because it decreases political engagement; Political engagement is what we need in order for democracy to run the way our forefathers intended. Our democracy is supposed to be run with the help and input of the people. The voice of the people is what separates America’s government from other countries’ governments. Our people having a say is what makes America special.

            One major advantage Americans have that some countries do not have is the right to vote. Not many countries give their citizens the right to vote and voice their opinion in hopes to change or enforce certain laws. All across the world, there has been controversy regarding strict voter ID laws. Some states have already put these strict laws into effect. These strict voter ID laws call for voters to have a government-issued ID in order to vote. Meaning, if the individual does not have that ID, they cannot exercise their right to vote. The reform of voter ID law is supposed to be in place to prevent fraud and impersonation. After doing research and speaking with the clerk of Saginaw’s City Hall, Clerk Janet Santos, who has over 25 years of experience with the voting system, voting fraud is something that workers have not seen occur. As of now, Michigan has not reformed its voter ID law. Compared to other states Michigan has a less strict voter ID law. Michigan residents are still able to exercise their right to vote, even without ID by signing an affidavit swearing under oath that they are who they say they are.

            I come to lawmakers asking for support, not just on my behalf personally, but on behalf of my fellow peers and citizens to keep Michigan’s voter ID laws as they are. Michigan’s voter ID law promotes integrity, fairness, and equality. Michigan’s voter ID law allows all citizens to exercise their voting right by letting the voter prove who they are by signing an affidavit. Michigan does not snatch its citizen’s right to vote just because they don't have an ID. After all, 99.8 percent of voters showed photo ID in the 2020 election, and only 0.2 percent used the affidavit option. Strict voter ID reforms can be a barrier for many individuals. Reforming Michigan voter ID laws to prevent fraud (which rarely occurs) is taking away the citizens’ equal rights to vote without barriers. There are more Americans who will not be able to vote due to not having an ID than the total number of fraud cases that have ever occurred in a decade. If the main concern for the reform is fraud, and if there are not many cases of fraud, why put a law in place that will discourage and affect eligible voters who want to exercise their right to vote? Today, I stand for what WE the people believe in, and I am pleading to our Michigan lawmakers to stand with us and keep Michigan voter ID laws that are in place, the same.

Please let us know what YOU think!