Making your voice heard at the ballot box matters. For a transgender person, voting can be intimidating and sometimes humiliating because poll workers often don't understand what it means to be transgender, and what the law says. The good news is that during this election season, transgender people, like other voters, have options available that allow them to vote several ways. The important thing is that you know what those options are, and what rights you have. 

Voting at the Polls 

In Michigan, when you go to vote in person at your polling place, you will be asked to produce a photo ID. If you don’t have a photo ID or don’t have it with you, you can sign a simple affidavit, or form, to that effect and vote. But for transgender people this can be uncomfortable, particularly if your ID does not match your gender identity and presentation. Although obtaining a gender marker change on your driver’s license or state ID is relatively easy (you fill out a sworn affidavit regarding your gender), the process for obtaining a legal name change through the courts can be both complicated and costly, especially without the help of an attorney.  

However, having a gender presentation that does not match your name on your ID is not a legal reason to deny you the right to vote at your polling place. Despite that fact, transgender people report being challenged and harassed by poll workers for this very reason, and, in some instances, even being denied a ballot. If you experience this problem or another kind of problem, or just have questions, you can contact the non-partisan election protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683). 

Absentee Voting 

As a result of Michigan voters approving Proposal 3 in 2018, all registered Michigan voters now have the option of requesting an absentee ballot that allows them to vote from home. For transgender voters this is particularly important if they are uncomfortable voting at their polling place. You can request an absentee ballot online, or download an application from the Michigan Voter Information Center www.mi.gov/vote . You also can call your city or township clerk and ask that an application be mailed to you. If you haven’t done so already, it is advisable to request your absentee ballot right away and no later than October 16, given potential mail delays.  

Early In-Person Voting 

Another option is to show up in person at your city or township clerk’s office and request an absentee ballot, which will allow you to vote in person at the clerk’s office. Registered voters can choose this option now through 4 p.m. on Monday, November 2nd, the day before the election.  

If you are not registered to vote, you can register at any time between now and 8 p.m. on Election Day at your city or township clerk’s office. You can register and vote all in one visit! If you go to register after October 19th you need to provide proof of residency. This can be a paper or electronic copy your Michigan driver’s license or state ID card, a current utility bill, a bank statement, a paycheck, or any government document. 

Make Sure Your Vote Counts 

At this point, mail delays are also a serious concern when it comes to submitting your ballot. Because courts might rule that your absentee ballot must be received no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day, which is November 3rd, the best thing to do now is hand deliver your complete ballot as soon as possible to your city or township clerk’s office, or one of the secure drop boxes that have been established in many locales. Doing so is the only way to ensure your ballot arrives in time to be counted.  

There is much at stake in the current election regarding LGBTQ rights in general, and the trans community in particular. Over the past four years, the Trump administration has targeted and discriminated against the transgender community in employment, access to health care, homeless shelters, participation in school activities, and service in the military.  

It is crucial that the voices of trans community members be heard this Election Day and beyond.  

 

 

Date

Sunday, October 11, 2020 - 9:00am

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Transgender Voting RIghts

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When the ACLU of Michigan People Power Tour packs its virtual bags and rolls into Berrien County for an online event this Tuesday, voting rights and reforming the criminal legal system are expected to be high on the list of issues discussed in this Lake Michigan shoreline community. 

Part of the discussion will include our work with the Rev. Edward Pinkney, who has firsthand experience in both arenas. 

In 2014, after helping coordinate a campaign to recall Benton Harbor's then-mayor, Rev. Pinkney, who is Black, was tried and convicted of election fraud by an all-white jury that was allowed to hear irrelevant and inflammatory evidence of  Rev. Pinkney’s political activities. Sentenced to serve 30 months to 10 years in prison, he was released after spending 30 months locked up. He considered himself to be a political prisoner, incarcerated because of his attempts to take on the county’s white power structure. After his release, the Michigan Supreme Court, in 2018, unanimously overturned the conviction, concluding, among other things, Rev. Pinkney was convicted of violating a law that did not exist.  

Clearly, the fight for racial and social justice in Berrien County, where Benton Harbor is located, is far from over. That is why efforts to reduce mass incarceration and eliminate racial disparities in the criminal legal system – the goals of the ACLU of Michigan’s Smart Justice campaign – will be part of the virtual People Power Tour event. The establishment of civilian oversight of law enforcement, in particular, is likely to be explored. 

We realize that resident engagement is especially critical in an election year. With less than 30 days until the Nov. 3 election, we will share the work we are doing to ensure historically disenfranchised communities can vote, and urge people to take advantage of early voting, which they can do from now until Nov. 2.    

What other issues will rise to the top? 

I cannot tell you that now with certainty because the People Power Tour doesn’t come to town with a pre-determined list of specific problems to address. Instead, our efforts are first centered on fostering discussion and hearing from community members about what civil rights and liberties issues they consider to be the most pressing. 

Keeping the focus community-centered – both in terms of identifying problems and then devising ways to address them through collaboration – is the tour’s guiding light.  

You can register and find details for the event here.  

Date

Sunday, October 4, 2020 - 9:00am

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