Michigan Voting Rights Act

The Michigan Voting Rights Act (MVRA) will expand on the original federal Voting Rights Act, add new protections for Michigan voters, and makegood on the promise of the 15th Amendment – that no citizen be denied the right to vote based on race.

Senate Bills 401, 402, 403 and 404, collectively establish the Michigan Voting Rights Act. The MVRA will:

• Prohibit voter denial, dilution, and/or suppression.
• Require and expand the jurisdictions that must translate election-related information into languages other than English to ensure that language minority groups in our state have an equal opportunity to participate in the voting process.
• Enhance and clarify protections for voters with disabilities or who otherwise need assistance to vote.

In the 2013 case Shelby County v. Holder, the U.S. Supreme Court gutted a powerful provision in the Voting Rights Act of 1965, undermining a law widely regarded as the most effective piece of civil rights legislation in American history.

For nearly 50 years, the federal Voting Rights Act successfully prohibited states with a history of racial discrimination in elections from enacting laws or policies to restrict voting rights.

Since the Shelby County decision, nearly 100 new laws restricting voting access have been passed by states – including Midwestern states like Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, and Iowa.

Michigan has a strong election system and dedicated clerks who uphold the law. The MVRA will protect the access Michigan voters have today and shield us from future attempts to undermine our fair and accessible elections.