Senate Bills 273 & 286 restrict access to secure drop box voting

LANSING – The Michigan League of Conservation Voters issued the following statement regarding Senate Bills 273 and 286, which are expected to be taken up by the Senate Elections Committee today. 

• SB 273 would put new, expensive, and burdensome restrictions on drop boxes and provides no additional resources for clerks to do so. 
• SB 286 would require the closure of drop boxes by 5 p.m. on Election Day, reducing voter access and putting even more of a burden on local clerks to accept ballots in their offices without the necessary funding or resources that they need. 

“Senate Bills 273 and 286 are part of a larger package of anti-voter legislation designed to put up deliberate barriers between voters and their freedom to vote,  like returning their ballot to a secure drop box,” said Clare Allenson, Democracy For All Director for the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. “These bills will make voting less accessible for people across Michigan, especially rural communities and those who work during clerks’ typical office hours. Ballot drop boxes are a secure and convenient way for voters to return absentee ballots.”