MichMash: Benson warns Michigan voter citizenship proposal ‘isn’t about election security’
This week on “MichMash,” Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson discusses the burdensome proof of citizenship requirements sought by GOP lawmakers.
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson speaks to WDET at the Mackinac Policy Conference on June 1, 2023.
A voter citizenship proposal that aims to have voters show proof of citizenship in Michigan was presented at a committee hearing in the state House this week. On the latest episode of MichMash, host Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Alethia Kasben discuss the partisan divide this proposal has caused.
Plus, Michigan Secretary of State and 2026 gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson stops by to share her concerns about the proposal and why she decided to run for governor of Michigan.
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In this episode:
- Proof of citizenship for Michigan voters draws partisan divides
- Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s take on the proposal
- Benson’s gubernatorial run
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqYQ58fvYwA
Speaking with Roth and Kasben, Benson clarified that she isn’t opposed to the idea that voters must show proof of citizenship before casting a ballot — and in fact, as she pointed out, Michigan already requires it — but noted how excessive requirements can be burdensome on many.
“…additional requirements, especially the onerous ones in the Save Act that, among other things, would require the name on a resident’s birth certificate to match the name on a voter registration form – that, to me, is not a reasonable requirement,” she said.
The proposal at the federal level, known as the SAVE Act, would require voters to register in person with either their birth certificate, a U.S. passport, or naturalization certificate. Other documents like a Michigan driver’s license, state ID, or military ID would not meet the requirements of the proposed bill, nor would a Michigan REAL ID.
Additionally, voters would lose their ability to register to vote by mail or online, overwhelming local election clerks and making elections much harder and more expensive to administer, according to the Michigan Secretary of State’s office.
Benson also noted that the proposed legislation could jeopardize the voting rights of more than 2.2 million women in Michigan whose married names don’t match what’s on their birth certificate.
More from WDET:
- Republican campaign finance complaint filed against Secretary Benson
- The Metro: 60 years since Voting Rights Act of 1965
- Non-US citizen faces felony charges after allegedly voting in Ann Arbor
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