State Rep. Greg Alexander this week voted against dangerous plans that risk the security and integrity of Michigan’s elections.

House Bills 4695-4702 are being promoted by House Democrats as legislation that carries out early in-person voting approved by Michigan voters through Proposal 2 of 2022. However, multiple bills in the package go beyond the will of the voters – changing absent voter ballot registration parameters, watering down signature verification requirements that help curtail fraud and eliminating other security measures.

“Things like absent voter request by e-mail and digital signature verifications were not included in Proposal 2,” said Alexander, of Carsonville. “These bills also expand acceptable forms of identification beyond what was in Proposal 2. These plans erode key safeguards meant to provide our state with a trustworthy, effective elections process.

“The concept of free, fair and trusted elections is a linchpin of our democracy. We must always protect this principle – and these bills take us in the wrong direction and passed the House amongst party lines.”

The bills:

• Make for unequal voting access: The Democrat plans would authorize state and local officials to send unsolicited absentee applications to the voters of their choice — enabling partisan actors to prioritize their own supporters. The bills would also let clerks unequally extend early voting beyond the nine days required under the Constitution — creating further disparities in voting access.

• Weaken election security: The Democrat plan would change a bipartisan law that requires security camera monitoring of absentee ballot drop boxes. The change means drop boxes in some areas may no longer be monitored. The bills would also decrease signature verification standards and make it more difficult to reject fraudulent ballots.

• Create confusion regarding post-election voting: The bills would allow people to register to vote and cast a ballot even after polls close on election day. The proposal comes on top of a law passed earlier this year to count overseas ballots received after election day even without a postmark verifying that the ballot was submitted on time.

The plans now move to the Senate for consideration.