Voting legislation to allow rides to the polls, youth voter preregistration, and online absentee ballot applications

House bills 4568-4570 will increase access to a fair, democratic voting process for Michigan voters. House bill 4568 will allow voters to be transported to the polling place in a hired transportation vehicle, which was previously illegal under Michigan’s Election Law. This will increase transportation options for voters who do not have access to reliable transportation of their own. House bill 4569 changes the voter preregistration age to sixteen years old, instead of the previous seventeen and a half year old requirement. This will allow young voters to register to vote early in person or via absentee ballot as long as that individual will be 18 years old on election day. House bill 4570 will allow registered and qualified voters to apply for their absentee ballot online with the Secretary of State. This will make it easier and quicker for qualified voters to register to receive their absentee ballot, by minimizing the need for physical mail applications. Currently, the SOS maintains an online absent voter ballot application portal that allows voters to request an absent voter ballot; however, this maintenance is not a statutory requirement. Together these changes will create a more accessible, equitable, and flexible voting process in Michigan.