Your vote is your own precious bit of power over our federal republic, gift and birthright of our founders. They understood that government is power, and power corrupts, so they tried to limit government power.

So, is it sensible to trustfully hand your bit of power to the very government that desperately wants to count it in their favor? Seems counterintuitive to me. Proposal 2 would cement executive branch power over your precious birthright in the Michigan constitution.

Vote without Harassment: Sounds great, but its what Alfred Hitchcock would have called a McGuffin. Misdirection. I haven’t heard of any voter harassment anywhere in Michigan.

Overseas Ballots: Would be accepted for six days after Election Day if postmarked by Election Day. That’s a long time to pile up ballots. Also serves to delay the final count, sowing further doubt about the results.

Photo Identification: Allows in-person voters to sign an affidavit to identify themselves and vote a standard ballot, rather than a provisional ballot, which isn’t counted until the signature on the affidavit and the one on file can be matched.

Signature Match: The proposed amendment reads, “…if election officials determine…that the signatures do not sufficiently agree…” but it doesn’t define what sufficient agreement is, creating a judgement call for “election officials” who may be tired, careless or have a political agenda. Comparing signatures strikes me as inefficient and inaccurate. Photo ID and the last four of our Social Security numbers would be easy and nearly foolproof.

Election Audits: Elections, vote count, re-counts and audits would be under complete control of the Secretary of State. We don’t allow banks, insurance companies, schools, churches, hospitals or charitable organizations to audit themselves. Complete control invites manipulation.

Dropboxes: Would be available for 40 days prior to Election Day with no provision for video surveillance or ballot chain of custody documentation.

Early Voting: Relevant events occurring in the 40 days prior to Election Day are non-factors to all early voters. Thousands of ballots stored for forty days is an invitation to incompetence, accident or fraud.

Private Funding: Donations would be publicly disclosed but there is no provision for how the money might be spent. Zuckerberg style contributions will come with political strings attached.

Power over the “…times, places and manner of holding elections…” is given to state legislatures by the U.S. Constitution. Proposal 2 is an attempted end-run around the peoples representatives, giving the executive branch complete control over all election activities, with no oversight by anyone. Some would have you believe this proposed constitutional amendment will protect voters rights. The way I read it, it protects government power.

Kenneth LaMarche

Escanaba