The Michigan State Senate today passed the Michigan Voting Rights Act (MIVRA), taking a major step towards enacting state-level protections for voters against discrimination in elections.
Black voters are currently facing the greatest assault on voting rights since the 1900s era of state-enforced racial discrimination known as Jim Crow. In recent years, the Supreme Court has systematically dismantled the protections of the federal Voting Rights Act through cases like Shelby County and Brnovich — and most recently Louisiana v. Callais, which eviscerated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), rendering the VRA’s protections against vote dilution dead in all but name.
With the federal VRA gutted, it’s more important than ever that Michigan enacts the MIVRA. This critical bill will protect against district maps or local election systems that weaken or silence Black voices; confront threats to voter participation and access to voting opportunities; mandate language access materials and assistance for voters; and create a publicly available, centralized election database. These protections are sorely needed and will be instrumental in protecting against discrimination in voting.
“The federal government is working in a targeted manner to erode and erase voting rights nationwide,” said Loren Khogali, Executive Director, ACLU of Michigan. “The intent of these anti-democracy policies is to control the outcome of our elections and disempower Black voters, voters of color and disabled voters from picking elected leaders at the local, state and federal level. In Michigan, voters have made it clear that it should be easy for all eligible voters to cast their ballots. Full stop. The Michigan Voting Rights Act takes important steps to fill in the gaps left in the wake of federal attempts to disenfranchise voters. We applaud the Michigan Senate for passing the Michigan VRA and urge the Michigan House of Representatives to move this critical legislation across the finish line with a yes vote.”
“By passing the Michigan Voting Rights Act, the Michigan Senate has sent a powerful message that voting discrimination will never be tolerated,” said Michael Pernick, Senior Counsel at the Legal Defense Fund. “The Michigan VRA will establish crucial protections for Michiganders, protections which are sorely needed during a time where voting rights are being attacked at the federal level at an unprecedented pace for this generation. We urge the Michigan House of Representatives to put their constituents' needs above all else and to pass the Michigan VRA.”
“The nationwide assault on voting rights and minority representation is dragging us all back to the despicable Jim Crow era. As power-hungry bad actors try to stop certain communities from voting by any means necessary, Michiganders deserve to see their lawmakers standing up for our voting rights,” said Micheal Davis, Jr., executive director of Promote the Vote Advocates. “Michigan voters overwhelmingly passed pro-voter ballot initiatives in 2018 and 2022, propelling Michigan to the forefront of election modernization and accessibility, making it easier for all Michigan voters, including historically-disenfranchised communities of color, to make their voices heard in our elections. We are eager to build on those gains and look forward to ensuring that when a Michigan Voting Rights Act passes, it works for everyone — including our election workers and Michigan voters across the state.”
“The Michigan Voting Rights Act marks a new era of voter protections for the state,” said Lata Nott, director of voting rights policy at Campaign Legal Center. “Over the last several years, the U.S. Supreme Court has consistently chipped away at protections granted by the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965. We applaud Michigan legislators for recognizing the sad truth that we can no longer rely on the federal courts alone to protect voters from discrimination — nor can we rely on Congress to fix the problem. Today, Michigan has taken a significant step forward to protect voters by enacting its own state voting rights act to protect the right to vote, the most fundamental of American freedoms.”
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