Better roads. Cleaner water. Real Democracy. This post is part of a new project at Eclectablog called “A Fresh Michigan”. Our goal is to help people understand the astonishing impact they can have on the future of our state by supporting the three statewide ballot proposals along with Sam Bagenstos and Megan Kathleen Cavanagh for the State Supreme Court. You […]

In 2015, Republican legislators sought to consolidate their enormous political advantage (through gerrymandering) by eliminating straight ticket voting in Michigan, something Michiganders have been able to do since 1891. This move, in addition to suppressing the votes of Black Michiganders, had the advantage of increasing the probability that Republicans would win statewide seats like the State Board of Education and […]

The Michigan primaries are looming close and I have one request for my fellow Muslims: Please vote! With all that’s on the line and with all that is happening in our country today, the last thing we need is for our community to sit out another election because we feel that our vote doesn’t matter. Hillary Clinton lost the presidential election by […]

The following guest post was written by Friend of the Blog Barb Byrum (D-Onondaga). Barb is currently serving her second term as the Ingham County Clerk. Before that, Clerk Byrum served in the Michigan House of Representatives for six years. She currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Legislative Committee of the Michigan Association of County Clerks (MACC) and also […]

The following post was written by Ingham County Clerk and former state legislator Barb Byrum. Enjoy. You may have first learned of the Trump Administration’s request for voter information from Susan Demas’ blog post. You have probably since learned that many states are denying the request either completely or partially. Michigan’s Secretary of State Ruth Johnson stated that her Office […]

It is a sad irony that as we celebrate our ancestors’ independence from taxation without representation, our state and national leaders are working to impose the very same tyranny on us, the current citizens of the United States of America. President Trump has convened the Orwellian-named “Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity,” ostensibly to investigate voter fraud, which every legitimate […]

The following editorial essay was written by Ingham County Clerk and former State Representative Barb Byrum. Enjoy. Administering elections is a fascinating job, and one that I take very seriously. Like Michigan’s other 82 county clerks, I’m focused on providing reliable, secure, and hassle-free voting for all U.S. citizens, including military and overseas voters who face unique challenges in exercising […]

The following guest post was written by Ingham County Clerk and former State Representative Barb Byrum. Enjoy. Recently, President Trump assigned Vice President Mike Pence to oversee a special commission to investigate what he believes to be voter fraud. While I welcome this investigation, I believe the resources that will be expended could be better spent on strengthening the integrity […]

The following essay was written by Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum, a Democrat who was reelected to a second term. Prior to serving as County Clerk, Byrum represented the 67th District in the Michigan House of Representatives for three terms. She is renowned for being banned from speaking on the House floor for saying “vasectomy;” for performing what has been […]

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, shown here sweeping up horse manure, has led an effort to suppress Democratic turnout in Michigan elections by fighting to uphold a ban on the option to vote a straight-ticket in our elections. The legislation, passed by our GOP-dominated state legislature, was a blatant attempt to harm Democrats’ chances given that one-half of all voters […]

See update below. Last month, Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum wrote a piece for Eclectablog about Attorney General Bill Schuette’s crusade to ensure straight-ticket voting is banned forever in Michigan. In her essay, Barb explained how, at its core, Schuette’s effort is little more than an attempt to disenfranchise voters in our state. After a 3-judge panel of the 6th […]