LANSING, MI (AP)-- Republican Secretary of State Ruth Johnson says it's "imperative" that voters be able to cast an absentee ballot for any reason now that the straight-party voting option has been eliminated from ballots.
Johnson told The Associated Press on Wednesday that enacting no-reason absentee voting legislation would alleviate local clerks' fears of longer lines caused by people needing more time to vote. Governor Rick Snyder endorsed the bill Tuesday while approving the removal of the straight-ticket option.
Johnson says she would have liked it if Snyder could have signed the bills together, but she stopped short of criticizing his decision. She says while there are "good reasons" to do away with straight-party voting, the GOP-led Senate should vote on the House-passed bill to let people vote absentee for any reason.
