News & Commentary

When the ACLU of Michigan People Power Tour made a stop earlier this month in Berrien County, concerns of possible voter intimidation were raised at the virtual event. Specifically, residents of Benton Harbor, which is 85 percent Black, wanted to be prepared for the possibility of armed white supremacists showing up at the polls on Election Day, a potential threat that has made headlines nationwide.   

With all the attention being placed on the presidential election and other high-profile races under way, there is an important civil liberties issue on the ballot that should not be overlooked. I’m talking about Proposal 2, which seeks to amend the Michigan Constitution to require that law enforcement agencies obtain a search warrant to access a person's electronic data and electronic communications. 

Forty-seven years. That’s a long time for just about anything, but a particularly long time to hold down one job.  

When Oakland County voters fill out their ballots for the upcoming election, they will have the opportunity to fundamentally shape the direction of their local criminal legal system and the values that will be pursued. 

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. 

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. 

After a career as an engineer in the auto industry, Beverly Hills resident Christine Allen decided to use some of her newly found free time to strengthen democracy after she retired in 2018. She started by volunteering to help pass Proposal 2, a ballot measure that changed the way the state draws congressional districts by taking politicians out of the picture and putting the power in the hands of citizens. 

If, like me, you’ve been reading about the Trump Administration’s troubling attacks on the U.S. Postal Service and are concerned the cuts may be an attempt to suppress voting, I have good news for Michigan voters: You have options that will ensure your vote will be counted in this crucial election. 

When the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration released a report earlier this year recommending sweeping changes to the state’s criminal legal system – changes the ACLU of Michigan’s Smart Justice campaign has been pushing for nearly three years to dismantle a system that locks up far too many people, especially Black people – proponents of reform had reason to be optimistic.