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Residents and voting groups urge Charlotte council to oppose voter-documentation amendment
Summary
Multiple residents and civic groups urged the Charlotte City Council to adopt a resolution opposing a proposed Michigan constitutional amendment that would require birth certificates or passports to register to vote, arguing it would create significant administrative burdens and disenfranchise vulnerable voters.
Public commenters urged the Charlotte City Council to publicly oppose a proposed Michigan constitutional amendment that would require proof of U.S. citizenship—such as a certified birth certificate or passport—to register to vote.
Kate Dirda, a Charlotte resident, told the council the petition would not improve election security and would instead erect barriers for many voters. "Mail in absentee ballots account for approximately 31% of the ballots cast in The US... mail voting fraud was, listen to this, 0.000043 percent between 2016 and 2022," Dirda said, adding that the proposal would impose "significant administrative burdens on state and county election officials." Several commenters said the mandate would disproportionately affect students, seniors, people with disabilities and low-income residents who may lack current documentation.
Linda Melorani, a board member of the Lansing Area League of Women Voters, described the requirement as a burden on both voters and local clerks and called it a "poll tax," saying the League provided the council a sample resolution and recommended adoption. "The need for voters to produce a certified birth certificate and or a passport is a poll tax," Melorani said. Other speakers, including faith leaders and residents, reiterated concerns about costs, privacy and logistics and urged the council to place a resolution opposing the amendment on a future agenda for formal consideration.
The transcript does not specify a meeting date for this session; council members asked staff to bring the matter back for further consideration and one council member formally requested placing a resolution on the next council agenda.
