Michigan’s embattled Governor vetoed a piece of legislation that would make it a felony to attempt to apply for multiple absentee ballots, or fill out an application for others without prior consent.
According to the Associate Press:
The Democratic governor said voter fraud — such as trying to vote more than once — already is a crime, and the Republican-sponsored legislation would “muddy the waters” and “likely confuse voters” about what conduct is criminal. In a letter to lawmakers Friday, she said it is impossible to get a second ballot without spoiling the first one and cautioned that people might submit multiple applications because of memory or error. […] The main bill was passed by the GOP-controlled House and Senate on bipartisan 77-26 and 32-6 votes, with some Democrats opposed.
“Any suggestion that the filing of a second absentee ballot application is criminal behavior creates needless confusion and fearmongering around the absentee voting process,” wrote Whitmer. “It is bad for voters and bad for our elections.”
One of the bill’s sponsors, State Representative Ann Bollin, criticized Whitmer over the veto, arguing both bills were designed to deter fraud, while enhancing confidence as voters battle “noise” regarding mail-in voting.
She continued by saying that this legislation would have created a “felony penalty for someone who fills out an application for another person in an attempt to commit fraud,”
President Trump has issued multiple warnings about voter fraud, and what we can do to protect against it. Legislation is one of those pathways.
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