ACHTUNG: This is not a “fair and balanced” article. It is an editorial by the editor.
EDITOR’S NOTE: I published this editorial last winter right after the presidential primary. I’m doubling down on my position because the same problems have presented themselves again, and a change is needed for the election of 2026.
I’ve had a change of heart on the issue of nine days of early voting in Michigan.
Though I steadfastly support making voting easier for the unwashed masses, perhaps the legendary state-wide Proposal 2 from 2022 went too far. Perhaps the proponents of establishing nine consecutive days of opening the polls was an exercise in overzealous law making.
I hereby ask there be a new petition movement to whittle the nine days down to three. I’d like to see early voting at the polls to be applicable only to the Saturday, Sunday and Monday right before election day. That way, more opportunities would be available for regular folks to cast their ballots, but the scope of the process would be reduced.
Let’s be clear that early voting is a product of the will of the people in a state-wide ballot proposal was was passed by more than 60 percent of eligible voters in November 2022. Those who claim it was the result of state government playing Big Brother are just plain wrong.
I personally voted for Proposal 2 because of my lifelong commitment to having as many people vote as possible. As I have said in this space often before, voting is the only real power we common everyday folks have in a world in which “he who has the gold makes the rules.”
And I don’t buy into the opposition of Allegan County Clerk Bob Genetski and local clerks who insist this new law overburdens them. Take a good look at life in these parts 50 years ago and you can’t help but notice there were far more instances of special elections, which since then have been cut back to only four times per year. Elections are the principal functions of township, city and county clerks.
However, I was persuaded two years ago that just about any way to have common folks vote is a good thing to promote healthier democracy. Now that I have seen the unintended consequences, I must sing a different tune.
My wife made her services as a poll worker available during this added nine-day early voting period and in the presidential primary. She reported to me that Leighton Township polls last winters attracted just over 80 people to vote in the span of a week.
This means we taxpayers are paying extra bucks, but really aren’t getting a big enough bang for those bucks. The new law has not benefitted enough folks to have it continue the way it is.
I still am a strong advocate of voting by mail and I oppose making elections on only one day and requiring a personal appearance between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. We must assure accessibility for common everyday folks. It’s just that Proposal 2 indeed went too far.
So tweak the system for three days of early voting and protect the rights of everyone to vote by mail.
Just what we need — another state-wide ballot proposal.
There may be less need in rural areas for extended early voting. Having lived in Texas for 5 years, the early voting over several days seemed to be good. Our polling area was 40 miles south of Houston. Each day the polls were open, there was a line of voters. We waited about 20 minutes to cast ballots.
I saw this post last week, but have given it more thought over the last couple of days. Like you, I voted for the ballot initiative thinking expanded access was a positive. However, I have attended a lot of township meetings over the last 6 months, and the recurrent theme is the burden that nine extra days of voting places on the election clerks. They have to staff the polls, and keep the building open longer. The hours for the extended days are cut short (8 a.m. to 4 p.m. as opposed to Election day’s 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.), so make it no easier for a Monday – Friday worker to get to the polls. Absentee ballots are now granted, no excuse required. I struggle to see the value in nine days early voting for primary or special elections where voter turn out is lower; three additional days would still expand access while reducing the burden on election clerks. Nine days early voting before a general election in a presidential election cycle might still have it’s merits. It will be interesting to see the numbers crunched following this year’s elections. This is just an Allegan County resident’s perspective; I have certainly heard horror stories about the long wait in lines in much denser population areas.