1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to oppose House Bill 4765, which would require voters to show photo ID with proof of U.S. citizenship to register and cast a ballot in Michigan. This legislation, proposed by Rep. Jason Woolford, would create significant barriers for legal Michigan voters while attempting to solve a problem that does not exist. The practical impact of this bill would be severe. Only 2.2 million of Michigan's 8.3 million driver's licenses are Real ID with enhanced features that would meet the new requirements. As Melanie Macey, Policy & Government Affairs Director for Promote the Vote, testified, the ID that most voters currently rely on and carry in their pockets would not satisfy this new requirement. This means millions of eligible Michigan voters would face additional costs and bureaucratic hurdles to exercise their constitutional right to vote. The justification for this bill does not hold up to scrutiny. While Jackson County Clerk Bill Richardson claimed the current system cannot prevent non-citizens from registering, audits consistently show that cases of non-citizens voting are exceedingly rare. Our elections are already secure with multiple safeguards in place. Existing laws already address this issue effectively. Rep. Stephen Wooden raised the right questions about the costs and burdens this bill would place on citizens. We should not be making it harder for eligible voters to participate in our democracy based on unfounded concerns. The similar federal SAVE Act has stalled in the Senate, suggesting even federal lawmakers recognize the problems with this approach. I ask you to vote against House Bill 4765 and protect the voting rights of Michigan citizens. Our election system works, and we should focus on expanding access rather than creating unnecessary obstacles for legal voters.