A recent poll indicates a majority of Michigan voters support an increase in early voting and other election reforms, in contrast to GOP legislation to restrict those efforts.
A new poll commissioned by the nonpartisan election policy group Secure Democracy USA found that approximately seven in ten Michigan voters are in favor of early voting opportunities and allowing the pre-processing of mail ballots so accurate election results can be delivered faster. The survey also found that voters trust Michigan’s election process and local election officials.
The poll, conducted by the Chicago-based Glengariff Group, surveyed 600 Michigan registered voters between June 15 and 18.
Key findings include:
- 69.4% support a proposal to allow seven days of Election Day-style early voting hours, including the weekend before the General Election.
- 71.7% support a proposal to allow local clerks to verify and process absentee ballots during the seven-day early voting period to help ensure final results can be called sooner on or after Election Day.
- 76.7% support a proposal to require an online government website that regularly updates the number of absentee ballots that have been requested, the number of absentee ballots yet to be returned and on election night reports exactly how many votes remain to be counted.
The poll also found that nearly three-quarters of Michigan voters (73.5%) say it is time to move on from the 2020 election and focus on the future, while 62% disputed the notion that there was widespread fraud that impacted the results.
That conclusion is at direct odds with the narrative being advanced by Michigan Republicans. In a debate Wednesday, candidates seeking the Republican nomination for Michigan governor continued to perpetuate disproven conspiracy theories while claiming that the election was “stolen” from former President Donald Trump.
That was despite hundreds of state and local audits to the contrary, as well as a GOP-led Michigan Senate Government Oversight Committee report that said the election was fair. In fact, 60% of those polled accepted the conclusion of that report, which disputed the numerous false claims made by Trump and his campaign.
“Michigan voters are sending a clear signal to political leaders in the state that they support free, fair, and accessible elections,” said Diego Echeverri, advocacy director at Secure Democracy USA. “Ahead of a pivotal 2022 election, now is the time for lawmakers in Lansing must work together to make simple common sense changes, such as allowing pre-processing of ballots and extending early voting opportunities, to improve Michigan’s elections.”
A proposed ballot initiative in Michigan seeks to implement many of the reforms the poll found voters are in favor of. Promoted by Voters Not Politicians, a non-partisan advocacy organization, Promote the Vote 2022 would propose a constitutional amendment that would, among other things, require nine days of early in-person voting, allow military or overseas ballots to be counted if postmarked by Election Day and require at least one drop box in every municipality and at least one drop box for every 15,000 registered voters in a municipality. Organizers say they have the required signatures and plan to submit them by Monday’s deadline.
A competing initiative, Secure MI Vote, failed to meet its June 1 signature deadline to get on the Nov. 8 ballot. It would have required an ID for in-person and absentee ballot applications, prohibited unsolicited absentee ballot applications, required partial Social Security numbers for voter registration and required voters who did not present their ID in person to present it within six days after the election for their vote to be counted, among other restrictions.
However, organizers are still gathering signatures. The GOP-led Legislature has the power to adopt the measure before it goes to voters and Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer cannot veto it.
Following the 2020 election, Michigan Senate Republicans introduced a 39-bill package, Senate Bills 273-311, in 2021, that Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said would, “restrict citizens’ voting rights, harm election administration and demonstrate a lack of knowledge of existing election procedure and law.” Many of the bills have since been vetoed by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
The poll has a margin of error of +/-4.0% with a 95% level of confidence, with 26.% of respondents contacted via landline telephone and 74% via cell phone.
authored by Jon King
First published at https%3A%2F%2Fmichiganadvance.com%2F2022%2F07%2F11%2Fpoll-majority-of-michigan-voters-favor-early-voting-dispute-2020-election-conspiracies%2F
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