Appeals Court Rejects Bid To End Straight-Party Voting In Michigan

LANSING (WWJ/AP) - Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette says he'll file an emergency appeal asking the entire 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to consider the state's new ban against straight-party voting.

A panel of three judges at the Cincinnati-based federal court rejected Wednesday the state's request to immediately halt a lower ruling that blocked the Republican-sponsored law.

This means, for now, it appears Michigan voters will still be able to vote straight-party in the coming November election.

"Half of Michigan voters use it," said Goodman Acker Attorney Mark Brewer, a former state Democratic leader representing the plaintiffs in the case. "That means this fall, when 5 million voters show up, 2 and-a-half million of them — of all races, of all political backgrounds — will expect to vote straight-party like they'd been able to do for over 100 years."

U.S. District Judge Gershwin Drain blocked the law last month, saying it would cause long lines and place a "disproportionate burden" on black voters, who use it the most, in November's election.

"We agree with the court's decision today to deny this appeal," said Brandon Dillon, Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, in a statement. "We now have four separate federal judges that have ruled against the Secretary of State and Bill Schuette in their attempt to create confusion, chaos, and long lines at polling places in November."

WWJ Lansing Bureau Chief Tim Skubick reports state Republicans argue that removing the straight-party option is a way to force voters to look at all of the candidates from all of the parties and make a more intelligent vote rather than just going with one party of the other.

"The Democrats claim, on the other hand, this is just an attempt to suppress the vote — particularly in vote-rich districts like Detroit — with the theory being if you can't vote a straight ticket you have to stand in line longer to vote and some folks might just leave the line and note vote," Skubick said.

Dillon called the AG's decision to further appeal the case "hypocritical" and a waste or taxpayer dollars.

Schuette maintains Michigan "is no different" from 40 other states that do not allow straight-ticket voting, which lets voters cast votes for all candidates from one party with a single mark.

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