MI: 'The voter registration you currently hold...may be cancelled'

by: matt
Mon Aug 14, 2006 at 12:01:19 PM EDT

http://www.michiganliberal.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=6213

UPDATE by Matt: Just for spits and giggles, here's an old AP article from WAY back in 2002, where Terri (the former Kent County Clerk) and Betsy DeVos talk about working on the Gerald Ford campaign together in 1976. Guess they go back awhile.

NOTE: Make sure you see Grebner's latest comments down at the bottom.

Remember a few weeks ago when my ex-boss and political list kingpin Mark Grebner (D) called attention to the massive statewide mailing Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land's (R) office sent out to all registered voters. Remember when he suggested it could be part of an effort by Land to "clean up" the state voter file?

Well, take a look at this letter to a Michigan voter just obtained by Michiganliberal.com

SOS letter

Here's what it says:

State of Michigan
Department of State
Lansing

Residency Confirmation Request for Voter Registration Purposes

The voter registration you currently hold in the city or township listed above may be cancelled as we have been advised that you no longer reside at the address recorded on your voter registration.

If you have permanently moved to an address outside of this jurisdiction, please return the detachable reply form to confirm your address as soon as possible. A pre-addressed postage paid return envelope is enclosed for your convenience. Please note that in order to vote, you must register with the clerk of the jurisdiction where you now reside. (See below for information on how and where a personb may register to vote or update his or her voter registration due to an address or name change.)

If you have not permanently moved to an address outside this jurisdiction, please return the detachable reply form in the enclosed envelope to correct our information no later than the 30th day before the next election. If the reply form is not returned by the 30th day before the next election, you will be required to 1) vote in your former precinct of residence and 2) submit an address correction before voting. If the reply form is not returned, and you do not vote or update your address by the federal November 2008 election, your voter registration will be cancelled.

(More below the fold...)
matt :: 'The voter registration you currently hold...may be cancelled'
Information on registering to vote and changing your address or name: Eligible persons may register to vote, change their name in any of the following ways:

In Person - At your county, city or township clerk's office; at any Secretary of State Branch office; at designated agencies administered under the Department of Human Services, the Department of Community Health, and the Department of Labor and Economic Growth; or at military recruitment offices.

By Mail - By submitting a mail-in voter registration application to your county, city or township clerk. Michigan's mail-in voter registration application is available on the Department of State's website: www.michigan.gov/vote.

(Please Print)

Reply Form

Full Name: __________________________
Telephone number:______________(optional)
I currently reside at: ____________________
____________________
____________________

Sign here__________________ Date______

(end of letter)

This past Friday, I spoke with Ann Arbor City Clerk Jacqueline Beaudry. Jackie says she's heard so far from 3 perturbed voters who are properly registered and wondering why the state wants to revoke their voter registration. She says some of the people getting these letters are people who may currently be out of state or voting overseas - which local clerks, not the state, would be in a position to know. Jackie says state elections officials have told her about 230,000 of these letters have been mailed out.

So the state is trying to clean up the voter rolls. Big deal. What's the problem?

Well, for one thing, the State of Michigan has no authority to do this. Under Michigan law (MCL 168.509), only city or township clerks have the ability to strike people from the voter rolls. Terri Land may not like that law. But that's what it says.

According to Grebner, State Elections Director Chris Thomas says the SOS is proceeding under the assumption that federal Help America Vote Act gives them the ability to go forward. In other words, the Secretary of State has apparently decided to unilaterally ignore Michigan law - a law properly approved by the Michigan Legislature, signed by the Governor of Michigan and a law that has - to date - survived all challenges in the courts. In essence, this activist Secretary of State appears to be substituting her own will for properly enacted state policy. Kinda reminds me of something I read in the DN the other day by House Speaker Craig DeRoche (R-Novi) vis-a-vis the Attorney General's right to make opinions:

One of the first things we learned and our kids learn in government class is the separation of powers, the idea that our three branches of government -- the executive, legislative and judicial -- have different responsibilities and that no one branch is more powerful than the others.

Hmm...why do you think it is that there is no mention of these cancellation letters anywhere on the SOS website? There's plenty of news releases about the mobile branch office going to South Lyon and the Michigan State Fair. But nothing for people wondering if they're going to be allowed to vote? What's with the secrecy? Could it be Sec. Land is trying to pull a fast one?

BTW, I wonder how many of those cancellation letters were sent to college students or active duty military personnel? Also - does this mean voters will be cancelled before or after the 2008 election? Not entirely clear from the letter.