Legislation sponsored by state Representatvie Julie Calley to protect the integrity of elections in Michigan was overwhelmingly approved Thursday in the Michigan House.

 

House Bill 5646 requires the Secretary of State to keep the list of people who are registered and qualified to vote in Michigan up to date by checking it against U.S. Social Security Administration’s death records. The legislation also requires continued participation in a multi-state program through which information is shared about the current address and registration status of voters.

 

“People are more concerned than ever about the security of our elections,” said Calley, of Portland. “We must do everything we can to ensure them that our qualified voter file is being held to the highest standard possible. When someone passes away or moves to another state, it’s important to update our voter rolls in a prompt and efficient manner to eliminate the possibility of voter fraud.”

 

While the Secretary of State currently utilizes these resources to update the qualified voter file, Calley said it is not required under current law. Her legislation ensures the practice continues in the future.

 

In addition to Calley’s bill, the House also approved two other bills clarifying current practices of the Secretary of State. House Bill 5644, sponsored by Rep. Tom Barrett, spells out the procedure by which absentee voters can change their mind and spoil their absentee ballot. House Bill 5669, sponsored by Rep. Aaron Miller, clarifies the current list of acceptable forms of identification for election purposes.

 

“Establishing these current practices as law ensures the Secretary of State and local election officials are all on the same page, and provides residents with confidence in the database of qualified voters,” said Calley, who serves as vice chair of the House Elections and Ethics Committee.

 

House Bills 5644, 5646 and 5669 now move to the Senate for consideration.