Are You Registered?

Statement

Are You Registered?

I received an e-mail today, forwarded from various people but originating with Leon Drolet, an activist from down-state with the Michigan Taxpayers' Alliance and Michigan Recalls, an effort to recall Michigan's House Speaker, Andy Dillon.

According to the e-mail:

The Secretary of State has released their final report... it finds that 10,408 registered voters in Andy Dillon's district signed the petition - more than the 8,724 signatures required. However, the SOS has disqualified 2,053 of those otherwise-valid signatures because the petition circulator (not the signers) [emphasis added] were not registered to vote in the district.

Tomorrow morning, we will be filing a legal request in Ingham County Circuit Court asking that the Court require all 10,408 registered voters signatures be counted and that the question of Dillon's recall be placed on the August 5th ballot. The U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled on January 12, 1999 (in the case Buckley v. American Constitutional Law Foundation) that states cannot require a citizen to be a registered voter in order for them to have their other political rights recognized.

In other words - all 10,408 registered voters who signed the petition should be counted regardless of whether the circulator was registered in the district or not. We will need to move quickly. I believe that we will win this case, but we need to have the court move very quickly in order to get the ruling before the absentee ballots for the August 5th primary election are printed. Thanks for all who have helped. Keep your fingers crossed, say a prayer, and hope the Court delivers a swift response.

Leon Drolet

I will pray, but folks, please—register to vote, so it doesn't have to come to this. The people who collected these signatures worked very hard.
Democrat activists would browbeat them and, according to their volunteers, often hassle people who expressed interest in signing. All of that energy, all of that time, and now a judge might throw it all away because some activists were not registered to vote.

I can understand why some people don't vote. In a race between people you don't like or don't know anything about, maybe not voting is the sensible thing to do. But that is no reason not to even be registered. What if a race—say, mine—comes along and you do want to support a candidate? Or take the case I just described.

Registering to vote is the most basic step you can take to have a political voice. It's free and it's easy; just visit your county clerk or Secretary of State office. You can register over the Internet now too; although I would feel better registering in person.

I have heard people say that they are afraid to register to vote because they don't want to be automatically registered for the draft. A valid fear, except 1) there is no draft; Charles Rangel (D-NY) introduces a bill every year and it dies in committee each time, and 2) if they ever do impose the draft, they won't depend on the voter rolls to call you into service.

Please register to vote. People who aren't registered to vote are persona non grata in public policy. If you don't speak for yourself, others will speak for you. The filing deadline is July 6th. Register today, so you don't miss it.

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