The job of Michigan secretary of state encompasses much more than renewing driver’s licenses and registering cars at 173 branch offices. Whoever is elected to fill the role also is the state’s chief election officer.
So while Republican Terri Lynn Land and Democrat Melvin “Butch” Hollowell are brimming with innovative ideas to improve the service and convenience of Secretary of State offices, Hollowell’s focus on election improvements gives him an edge over the former Kent County clerk.
We endorse Hollowell in the race to replace Candice Miller as Michigan’s next secretary of state.
By all accounts, Miller has made many positive changes to Secretary of State offices since she was elected in 1994, and she could easily win re-election if she wasn’t term-limited.
But Hollowell, a Detroit attorney and former Wayne County assistant executive, certainly is capable of launching even more successes from that office. He is determined to help customers and improve voting.
Charles F. Conces, of the U.S. Taxpayers Party and Ray Ziarno of the Green Party, also are seeking the office.
Hollowell’s focus is on upgrading all Secretary of State offices. He wants to extend branch office hours for more customer convenience, place more electronic kiosks in malls for driver’s license renewals and begin accepting debit and credit cards for payment.
With reports of many MSU students being turned away from the polls in the 2000 election because of registration problems, Hollowell’s election experience, education efforts and new ideas are welcome additions to the state government.
He wants clear and correct instructions for voters stationed at all state polls, as well as more training for election workers and volunteers.
Hollowell also wants to eliminate punch-card ballots and standardize Michigan’s voting equipment by implementing a statewide high-tech optic scan system.
His stance on simpler, more efficient voting carries a significant amount of weight - Hollowell was a member of the Al Gore legal team that oversaw the 2000 recount in the Florida election debacle.
But regardless of his credentials or creative ideas for the office, Hollowell’s true strength lies in his strong support of voter education. He believes the secretary of state needs to start high school programs throughout the state to teach students how to register and cast a ballot.
This is a noble idea that warrants serious attention. Voting for the first time is an intimidating prospect - one of many reasons why so many young people don’t vote. Someone in government needs to stand up and seriously address the issue.
Land, a Republican from Byron Center, spent eight years as Kent County’s clerk and register of deeds. She is well experienced with many of the duties of the secretary of state and oversaw many record-keeping and election management tasks. Land certainly knows how to deal with customer service issues.
She also has ideas for making drunken driver record keeping and tracking easier, quicker and more efficient. Land, who has had leadership positions in the Michigan GOP, wants driver’s licenses also to be used as voter identification cards.
Land and Hollowell are both highly qualified to be secretary of state. Their combined efforts would greatly improve branch offices and benefit all Michigan residents - but the state must choose only one.
Hollowell’s ideas to improve the state’s election system and his advocacy for student issues make him the best choice for secretary of state.
