Take back your right to vote

Tom Choske

Given the events of the past two weeks, it’s time we take a break from the infringements on the supposed “right to party” and focus instead on a disturbing trend affecting a more fundamental right: voting.

The most recent challenge to Michigan’s enfranchisement finds its origins last year, when the Michigan Legislature debated moving Michigan’s presidential primary date to Jan. 15 from its original date in February, with taxpayers footing the bill rather than the state party organizations. Both national political parties were outraged, pledging swift action to punish Michigan. Despite these threats and seeing the Democratic National Committee strip Florida’s delegates after it made the same change, the measure passed and was signed into law.

Almost as soon as the ink was dry on the new measure in Lansing, the Republican and Democratic parties reacted. The Republicans announced Michigan only would be allowed to send half of its delegation to the Republican convention, limiting the voice Michigan had in choosing a nominee. The Democrats, however, went further. None of Michigan’s more than 150 delegates would be able to represent the Great Lakes State or have any vote at the Democratic convention in Denver.

The individual candidates even reacted to the change. The entire Democratic field refused to campaign in the state, robbing us of the millions of dollars that would have been pumped into the economy through ads and other means. Candidates even refused to have their names on the ballot, leaving Hillary Clinton and Dennis Kucinich as the only choices for Michigan voters.

The Democrats in Michigan now have no say in choosing their party’s candidate. The Republicans are in negotiations to try to restore their delegation, but nothing has happened yet. Michigan has almost been stripped of any meaningful contribution to the primary cycle.

This controversy is just the latest in a prolonged attack on the enfranchisement of citizens in Michigan. Many college students are already familiar with the infamous “Rogers’ Law” that requires Michigan voters have the same address on their voter registration cards and driver’s licenses. During the past several years, this law has stood as a major barrier to students voting at college. In East Lansing, this has prevented MSU from electing a student to the City Council or affecting the community positively in a political way.

Recently, the state Supreme Court overturned a previous ruling of former Attorney General Frank Kelly that prevented Michigan’s 10-year-old voter ID law from going into effect. This law requires voters to present one of a few forms of state-issued ID in order to vote. However, low-income citizens and the elderly, who have been voting for decades without these extra-stringent laws in place, might be adversely affected. Low-income citizens might not be able to afford a new form of ID or might not have the ability to go through the layers of bureaucracy necessary to obtain one for free. The elderly might be in the same situation, or even if they have the means, might not be fully informed of the new processes.

Why are we seeing our voting rights slowly being stripped away from us? It’s not like we are in the best of situations in a state where we can afford to idly sit by. Our economy is in shambles, our health-care system is almost completely defunct, and people are fleeing the state not by choice, but because their homes are being foreclosed by banks at a phenomenal rate. People are concerned, and at the very time large-scale public involvement is needed the most, it is becoming harder for it to happen.

I would say the majority of people reading this want to see change for a better America and a better Michigan. The question is: What are you doing to make this happen? Do you vote? Lobby? Write letters? Anything? How many people knew of the voter ID law before this column?

It all goes back to participation. The few who benefit from our woes are almost unopposed in exerting their influence on government. Citizens’ apathy has become so great that they are even able to attack our fundamental rights without any major reaction.

This cannot continue. People need to stand up. Much as great men and women have in the past, so must we now, not to secure, but to protect the right to vote. Write letters. Lobby. Do whatever it takes to make sure that your voice — our voice — is not wiped out.

Published on Thursday, April 17, 2008