Public Media from Michigan State University

Michigan Secretary Of State: New Voter Law Unenforceable

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson
Jocelyn Benson

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson says her office will take steps to promote college-age voting to resolve a lawsuit in which young Democrats challenged two laws they say discourage them from participating in elections.

A law requiring that a voter's registration match his or her driver's license address will remain intact. But Benson says a requirement that some first-time voters cast a ballot in person if they registered by mail or a third-party registration drive was rendered moot by a 2018 voter-approved constitutional amendment that lets voters vote absentee without giving a reason.

Benson, a Democrat, said Wednesday she will create a website dedicated to providing voting information to college students and first-time voters. She also will more frequently deploy a mobile office to boost voter registration on campuses.

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