Lawsuit aims to overtime Michigan law on transporting voters to polls
LANSING, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - A progressive voting rights group from outside Michigan wants to change a Michigan law to allow organizations to hire transportation to the polls on election day.
Currently, in Michigan, it is illegal for an organization or person to hire vehicles to transport voters to polls unless a voter can't physically walk.
"The obvious problem with it, obviously, is that there may be other reasons that one May need assistance to or transportation to the polls," said Aneesa McMillan, deputy executive director for Priorities USA, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
McMillan says other states allow organizations like churches to hire vehicles or ride-sharing apps to get voters to the polls. If passed in Michigan, McMillan says anyone could pay for transportation to the polls.
"Michigan is unique because of this law because there are a lot of groups on the ground who for many years have kind of had concerns about transportation organizing. When you think of things like Souls to the Polls or Uber and Lyft providing free rides to the polls, Michigan is one of the few states that does not have that or allow for that," she said.
The lawsuit is filed against Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.
Danny Wimmer, a spokesman for Nessel, says this suit would be better brought to the legislature.
"Plaintiffs should seek legislative remediation, to change the law, if the position of the parties is that the law is presently unfair rather than suing the Attorney General multiple times on the same statute," he said.
McMillan says it made more sense for the lawsuit to be filed against Nessel because of new language in the state constitution that passed in Prop 2 last year, specifically Article II, Section Four, which bans unreasonable burdens on the fundamental right to vote.