A
lawsuit was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court in Detroit against the
straight-ticket ban passed in the legislature last year. In the suit, it claims
SB
13 (PA
268 of 2015) violated the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S.
Constitution, the U.S. Voting Rights Act and the U.S. Americans with
Disabilities Act.
Historically,
vignettes have been required to accompany each political party on the ballot
next to the straight party option. That option has been eliminated, however the
vignettes are still required potentially causing confusion and false marking in
lieu of an actual vote, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit also claims the
law unreasonably burdens Michigan citizen’s right to vote, specifically
unreasonably and disproportionately burdening the vote of African-Americans. It
also claims the law denies African-Americans the right to vote based on race.
Half of Michigan voters use the straight-ticket option with 75-80 percent of
African-Americans doing so.
Michigan
currently has some of the longest ballots and wait times in the country.
Specifically, the lawsuit claims the state has the sixth longest. The lawsuit
seeks to reverse SB 13 stating it serves no state interest and will only
increase cost, confusion, line congestion, participation, and voter confidence.
Judge
Gershwin Drain has been assigned to the case, and the lead attorney in the
lawsuit is Mark Brewer, the former Democratic Party chair.