Michigan House approves bill to allow early voting

Associated Press

8:22 PM CST, December 4, 2008

LANSING, Mich. - Michigan residents would have more flexibility to vote early in elections under terms of legislation that has passed the state House.

The bill would require some polling sites to be open for the Friday, Saturday and Monday before Election Day. Supporters say 31 other states have some form of early voting and that participation in elections typically increases because voters have more options.

But the legislation passed the Democrat-led House on Thursday by a relatively narrow 58-50 and faces an uphill climb to become law. The bill, which now goes to the Republican-led Senate, would only become law if the Legislature also approves a measure to allow no-reason absentee voting in Michigan.

That proposal has stalled in the Senate.