Another bill that would try to limit voting

If we can all get our minds off the NFL and Deflatio for a moment, there’s a real problem to deal with.

It’s called Senate Bill 13, is sponsored by state Republican Senator Marty Knollenberg and if successful, would eliminate straight ticket voting in Michigan.

Straight ticket voting allows a voter to vote, with one check mark, for an entire party. If you vote straight ticket, you are saying you want all the members of Party X to win the offices they’re running for.

Republicans dislike straight ticket voting because it makes for easy voting. If you are a Democrat, one check mark lets you vote for all Democrats on the ballot. And if you live in Detroit, racism creeps into this bill.

Some state Republicans have long held that black people, particularly Detroit residents, are too stupid to read a ballot, hence the attractiveness of voting straight ticket.

Senator Knollenberg, the bill’s sponsor, says that’s a lie. Knollenberg says he’s sponsoring the bill because he believes people should know who they’re voting for, and not be able to cast a ballot that elects people just because they’re in a certain party.

Knollenberg represents state Senate District 13, which is 84 percent white.

Remember, these are the same Republicans who want to force you to have state identification of some sort, such as a driver’s license, to vote. Many people in Detroit don’t own cars because the insurance rates are so high, and therefore don’t have a driver’s license.

I say we should do everything possible to get a good voter turnout in any election. There’s nothing wrong with straight ticket voting. With politics as polarized as they are today, it isn’t likely a person will split his or her ticket very often anyway.

Voting a straight ticket has been a hot issue in other states, too. There are only 12 states in America that allow straight ticket voting. Georgia stands out as an example. That state abolished straight ticket voting in 1994. Some Democrats in Georgia are rethinking their position on that one, since the number of African American voters has dropped off, and the number of Democrats voted into office has dropped off, since straight ticket voting ceased.

Michigan, if straight ticket voting stays alive, would be in dubious company. Deep red states such as Kentucky, Iowa, Texas and Utah have kept straight ticket voting.

Knollenberg’s bill is just another transparent attempt to keep some people from voting, period. Low voter turnout is usually indicative of a Republican win around Detroit. Don’t let it happen. You can call Knollenberg at his office, 517-373-2523, and let him know what you think of Senate Bill 13.