Lt. Gov. Gilchrist: Best Way to Stop Voter Intimidation is to Vote Early

The November election is almost upon us and voters are requesting and returning absentee ballots in record numbers here in Michigan.

“Anybody who takes a gun to a polling place is taking it there to stop somebody to vote, not to enable them to vote… I think that this should be a celebration of our democracy. And I think we can overwhelm the intimidators.” – Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist.

Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist joins Detroit Today to discuss the upcoming election and how residents can make sure their votes count.

Listen: Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist discusses the election and voting with Stephen Henderson on Detroit Today

Guest

Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist is urging voters to cast a ballot before or on Election Day — especially in his home city of Detroit.

“Detroit will play a decisive role in Michigan elections because it always does,” says Gilchrist. “And I’m less interested in the prediction game than I am in the preparation game press to make sure everyone has what they need to cast ballots.

He also discusses the threat of voter intimidation and suppression, including at polling locations on Tuesday.

“I think the point of intervention is now, is today,” he says. “I think the way that we decrease the number of voters who could potentially be intimidated by people with bad intentions, is for people to cast their ballots early for people to drop their ballots off today. And then we’ll have less people who will be at polling places.”

“Let me be really clear about something,” Gilchrist continues. “Anybody who takes a gun to a polling place is taking it there to stop somebody to vote, not to enable them to vote… I think that this should be a celebration of our democracy. And I think we can overwhelm the intimidators.”