By ACLU of Michigan, Lansing branch
lansing@aclumich.org
Students have a right to vote, but it is a right that is under attack in many places in the United States. In Texas, student photo ID cards are not sufficient voter identification, but gun registration cards are. In Ohio, legislators are punishing universities who legally register out-of-state residents to vote with a $370 million per year cut in funding. Before 1971, all but four states required that you be 21 years old to vote in an election, so you could be drafted to serve in Vietnam three years before you could vote in an election. With the 26th Amendment, you gained the Constitutional right to vote, but attempts to reduce student turnout remain.
Your right to vote in Michigan is virtually absolute, even if you are homeless, an ex-felon, or are an out-of-state student. But you must register by Oct. 6 to vote in the election on Nov. 4, and your dorm or apartment address will work just as well as your permanent address.
What if you are unsure whether you are registered, or where? The Secretary of State’s website makes it easy to find out. Go to www.michigan.gov/vote, then type in your name, birthdate and zip code, and your “personal” voter website will appear. It will have a map showing the location of your polling place and a sample ballot that you can print. If you have moved since the last time you voted, and are not sure where you are registered, use the bottom of the form and put in your Michigan driver’s license number and month and year of birth and you can see where you are currently registered. If you need to update your address, go to www.michigan.gov/sos. Click on “Driver’s License and State ID” on the top left of the page, then “Change of Address/Voter Registration” on the right side of the next page. Click on “by mail” and print the form, fill out both columns and mail it or drop it at any Secretary of State office (the closest one is near the Frandor Shopping Center).
If you do not have a driver’s license or state ID, you can still vote. In Michigan, unlike some states, many different forms of picture ID, including student ID, state or federally issued ID, out-of-state driver’s license, passport, or tribal ID, among others, are acceptable forms of ID for use at the polls. If you don’t have a photo ID when you go to the polls, you can simply fill out an affidavit indicating that you do not have a picture ID in your possession.
If you are voting for the first time and did not register in person, you will be asked to show identification when you vote. Picture ID is best, but if you do not have one, a current utility bill, paycheck or a bank statement with your name on it will do.
The election is on a Tuesday, and if you cannot get to the polls, you can request an absentee ballot online at the Secretary of State website.
Our democracy relies on us voting; this is the grand experiment of democracy, and that means the people have the power to determine the country’s path. We are one generation removed from having student voting rights being established as a constitutional right, yet this right is still under attack. All polls indicate that this will be a very close election year across Michigan’s local, state and federal elections, so your vote will be very important!
Vote! Our country was founded upon this right, and you deserve to exercise it!
