Early voting and lowered restrictions on absentee ballots could be a good thing for Michigan, with the proper checks and balances in place.

Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land recently announced plans to enact these exact measures in our state. Complete plans for how to enact such measures are not yet available.

There are some worries about early voting. Just before Nov. 2, in Florida, early voting caused nasty side-effect suspicions of voter fraud. If Michigan's early voting system wants to claim any success, it will have to be written to overcome the dark side of fraud.

That being said, fraud doesn't necessarily co-exist with early voting. Proposed pilot programs during midterm elections for governor or U.S. senators would iron out bugs. Typically, midterm elections have lower turnouts, and a less hectic voting atmosphere would be ideal for testing. If all goes according to plan, within the course of the programs, officials will know how to stop various methods of early voter fraud.

Our system now punishes engaged first-time voters, restricting them from voting by absentee ballots under certain conditions. Putting roadblocks in front of voters does nothing more than disarm the spirit of representative democracy. Freeing up first-time voters to get out and vote - even by absentee - could be a good answer.

If the past two presidential elections proved anything - 2000 more so than 2004 - it's that our election system is not perfect. U.S. legislators might want to think about tweaking the system to create an inclusive voting system to counter our current concerns. Even an improved system will have it's own flaws.

Even that isn't going far enough. The U.S. Constitution demands that our elections take place the first Tuesday in November. If Americans wanted to shift voting to a more temperate month or the weekend, they'd have to change the Constitution. When real systematic problems arise - in the case with voting - legislators should push for amendments.

Many people waiting all day in crowded lines to vote can just give up. It's not exactly disenfranchising voters - these people choose to leave - but it's close enough. Those who waited four years to vote for president, and those totally devoted to one specific candidate might have little to no sympathy for quitters. But despite any bad mojo, we should extend our hands to help them.

Why not give America a day or two off? A national holiday specifically for voting could help bring more people to the polls. This way, citizens wouldn't have to justify the value of voting against attending jobs or school. This holiday would extend to more than those who stepped out of line - it would help everyone to the polls.

We're not asking for a miracle, just for a more accessible voting system.

With any luck, in the next four years the government will propose more progressive, intelligent legislation to help make voting easier. Voters, if given the chance, will vote for the best of these changes. American voting will become a stronger, better system for all voters - Republican, Democrat and otherwise.