(WXYZ) — Thirty Michigan CEOs released a joint letter on voting laws in the state as changes are being proposed and advanced.
Last month, Michigan Republicans proposed a slew of election bills that would require voters to submit a photo ID, prohibit the unsolicited mass mailing of absentee ballot applications, and restrict the hours in which people could drop their ballot in curbside boxes.
Democrats said the legislation is racist and would suppress voting; Republican senators, citing a surge in absentee voting in 2020, said changes are needed to ensure election integrity.
In the letter, the CEOs said government must support equitable access to the ballot and avoid actions that reduce participation in elections – particularly among historically disenfranchised communities, persons with disabilities, older adults, racial minorities and low-income voters.
"Our nation is strongest when we stand together," the CEOs said in the letter. "We call on our elected officials to adopt these principles as they proceed in the spirit of inclusion and equality."
The letter comes after large U.S. companies began speaking out against Georgia's recently-passed voting rights law. Georgia’s new law about elections makes changes to how people can vote and who oversees the statewide process.
View the full letter from Michigan CEOs below:
Michigan CEO Executive Chairman Joint Statement on Voting Rights by WXYZ-TV Channel 7 Detroit on Scribd
