From Ruth Johnson, Michigan Secretary of State

It’s been a great summer for travel in Pure Michigan and around the U.S.! That’s why we’re getting the word out about REAL ID to all air travelers who fly inside the United States. 

It’s my last year as your Secretary of State and implementing this Federal mandate is a top priority of my administration. I want you and your family to have everything you need to know about REAL ID. 

Beginning October 1, 2020, the federal government will start requiring Michigan residents to show a REAL-ID compliant document when boarding domestic flights. If you don’t have a valid U.S. Passport or Enhanced Driver’s License or state ID card, then you will not be able to board a domestic flight unless you have a REAL ID compliant license.

The good news is that you may already have an acceptable REAL-ID document, like a valid U.S. passport, a passport card, an Enhanced Driver’s License or a U.S. military ID.

Your driver’s license or state ID card is REAL ID compliant if it has a star circled in gold printed in the upper right corner of your card, or if you have an Enhanced Driver’s license or state ID card which has a small American Flag printed on it. When you get your renewal notice in the mail, it will state whether or not your license or state ID is REAL ID compliant. 

You can get REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses or state ID cards through the Secretary of State’s office at no extra cost from our regular fees. 

We at the Michigan Secretary of State’s office are happy to make the process of getting a REAL ID compliant license as simple as possible.

If you think a REAL ID compliant driver’s license or ID card is right for you, visit one of our branches with your current license or state ID card and an official copy of your birth certificate with a raised seal or stamp (no photocopies). 

If your name is different from what’s on your birth certificate, you’ll need to bring in certified name-change document(s), such as your marriage license or court order. Multiple documents may be needed if your name has changed more than once.

Alternately, if you bring a current, valid U.S. Passport and the name on your passport matches the name on your driver’s license or state ID card then you do not need to bring your birth certificate or name change documents. For more information, visit Michigan.gov/REALID or TSA.gov.

Congress first enacted REAL ID more than a decade ago in response to 9/11. This is a Federal mandate that each state must carry out. 

REAL ID sets document and security protocols for the production of driver’s licenses and state ID cards, including the use of features to prevent illegal copying or altering.

Remember starting October 1, 2020, you will not be able to board a domestic flight without a REAL ID compliant document. Having a REAL ID compliant license simplifies domestic air travel.

Five-point plan seeks to eliminate voter fraud vulnerabilities in states

Secretary of State Ruth Johnson has sent a list of recommendations on strengthening the integrity of the elections system to Vice President Mike Pence and Michigan’s congressional delegation asking that the federal government provide state and local officials with the tools they need to ensure election integrity.

Pence is expected to head a special commission to investigate election issues.

“I believe the most critical parts of election administration are getting eligible citizens registered to vote and ensuring that only those individuals who are eligible to vote appear on the voter rolls,” Johnson said in her letter to Pence. “The United States as a whole must strive for the cleanest voter lists to eliminate vulnerabilities to voter fraud. To allow an ineligible person to cast a ballot is to disenfranchise an eligible citizen.”

Johnson has made election integrity and the accuracy of Michigan’s Qualified Voter File a top priority since she took office in 2011. Her department has removed 1.1 million ineligible people from the voter rolls, including 482,427 deceased voters, 104,126 who were registered in two states and 3,359 noncitizens. Her office also has performed 1,400 post-election audits and sends out a reminder to Michigan residents when they turn 18 years old and asks people who aren’t registered when they visit a Secretary of State office. Michigan has been named the top state for registering people to vote at motor-vehicle offices.

Her five recommendations:

Make Social Security Administration data available – The federal government should help states remove the names of deceased voters from the voter rolls. The Social Security Administration holds this data and it should be made available at no cost to all state election officials and updated at least once per month.

Remove those registered in more than one state – Congress, with the support of the administration, needs to pass a law that allows a voter to be efficiently removed at state motor vehicle offices from the voting rolls if that voter registers in their new state of residence. There is no process, system or law to prevent people from being registered in more than one state. This needs to be an automated system for all states. Former Congresswoman Candice Miller worked hard on a bill that would have accomplished this but it never passed.

Share noncitizen info – The federal government should allow states to verify noncitizens are not on the voter rolls. For years, the federal government required motor-vehicle agency clerks to ask customers—without regard to their citizenship—if they would like to register to vote. As a consequence, many noncitizens registered in error. Johnson met with Homeland Security officials in 2012 and asked for assistance in removing noncitizens from the voter list but never heard back or received any information or cooperation despite numerous attempts.

Create an election crime database – A comprehensive, national database or repository of election-related crimes needs to be created by the administration or Congress with the participation of all states. It would be invaluable to have a federal repository of election crimes categorized with information easily retrieved to help quantify and qualify problems. This will help identify vulnerabilities and fix them.

Require a voting paper trail – Voting machines or tabulators across the U.S. should be required to have some form of a verifiable paper trail that allows officials and citizens to review the results instead of having to blindly trust electronic devices. Voting machines or tabulators that don’t provide election officials with a paper record do not instill confidence in our elections systems and lack the accountability needed. Additionally, voting machines should not be connected to the internet.

A copy of Secretary Johnson’s letter to Vice President Pence is available online at http://www.michigan.gov/documents/sos/Letter_to_Vice_President_Pence_551502_7.pdf.

Call Secretary of State office for assistance

LANSING—Secretary of State Ruth Johnson today encouraged customers of two out-of-business west Michigan auto dealers to call her office so they can obtain proper title and registration for their vehicles.

Some customers of Wayland Motor Sales in Wayland and the Patriot Auto Group, Inc. in Hastings may have been issued improper temporary registrations or license plates as part of their vehicle transactions. Affected consumers risk having their vehicles impounded if stopped by law enforcement.

“Consumers who may have been victimized need to call to ensure they receive the correct ownership documents for their vehicle,” Johnson said. “Without proper title and registration, they will have difficulty proving they own their vehicle or getting a plate for the vehicle in the future.”

Buyers who received a vehicle from either dealership and have not received a title and registration are asked to call the department’s Office of Investigative Services at 517-335-1410 for assistance.

Secretary of State staff investigated both dealers and found a number of significant violations:

Wayland Motor Sales, 159 N. Main St. in Wayland. Secretary of State investigators found that the dealer poorly maintained records and repeatedly failed to apply for title and registration within the required 15 days of vehicle delivery. The licensee allegedly claimed that only four title transactions had not yet been processed but investigators discovered an additional 15 unprocessed tax, title and registration transactions from vehicle sales. The dealer had a former employee pretend to be a representative of Patriot Auto Sales Group, Inc. and purchase temporary registrations for customers. After customers drove off the lot, the dealership never submitted paperwork for them to receive their permanent title documents from the state. Johnson issued a summary suspension of the dealership.

Patriot Auto Sales Group, Inc., 490 S. M-37 Highway in Hastings. During the investigation of Wayland Motor Sales, the licensee for Patriot Auto Sales Group, Inc. allegedly denied knowing anything about the temporary registration purchases for Wayland Motor customers and submitted a close-out statement for the business. Investigators discovered that the dealership had seven unprocessed sales transactions, leaving customers without proper documentation for their vehicles. The dealer could not provide funds to pay for the tax, title and registration.

As part of her focus on strengthening her office’s consumer protection efforts, Johnson created a new office, which investigates and inspects automotive-related businesses. Already Investigative Services staff, acting on consumer complaints in many cases, have taken strong action against dozens of problem auto dealers and repair shops.

Registration deadline is Monday, February 8

Secretary of State Ruth Johnson reminds residents that they have until Monday, Feb. 8 to register to vote in the March 8 presidential primary election.

“Each vote is equally important, and so I encourage everyone who is not yet registered to vote to do so,” said Johnson, Michigan’s chief election officer. “Voting is one of the foundations of our democracy so I urge you to participate.”

The polls will be open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

To register, applicants must be at least 18 years old by Election Day and be U.S. citizens. Applicants must also be residents of Michigan and of the city or township in which they wish to register.

Voters may register by mail, at their county, city or township clerk’s office or by visiting any Secretary of State office. The mail-in form is available at www.Michigan.gov/elections. First-time voters who register by mail must vote in person in their first election, unless they hand-deliver the application to their local clerk, are 60 years old or older, are disabled or are eligible to vote under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

To check their registration status, residents may visit the Michigan Voter Information Center at www.Michigan.gov/vote, where they also can view their sample ballot. Residents can also find information there on absentee voting, how to use voting equipment and how to contact their local clerk. In addition, they will find a map to their local polling place.

The presidential primary is open to all registered voters. Michigan does not require voters to register as a member or supporter of a political party so voters can choose to participate in either the Democratic or Republican party primary. When voters request an absentee ballot or arrive at the polls and fill out their application to vote, they must indicate in which party’s primary they wish to vote. They will then receive a ballot listing candidates for that party. Some communities will have additional special local election items on the ballot. Voters who wish only to vote in the special election may request a ballot that does not include presidential candidates.

Additional information regarding Michigan’s presidential primary can be found at www.Michigan.gov/elections.

Voters who qualify may choose to cast an absentee ballot. As a registered voter, you may obtain an absentee ballot if you are:

• age 60 or older.
• physically unable to attend the polls without the assistance of another.
• expecting to be absent from the community in which you are registered for the entire time the polls will be open on Election Day.
• in jail awaiting arraignment or trial.
• unable to attend the polls due to religious reasons.
• appointed to work as an election inspector in a precinct outside of your precinct of residence.

Those who wish to receive their absentee ballot by mail must submit their application by 2 p.m. Saturday, March 5. Absentee ballots can be obtained in person anytime through 4 p.m. on Monday, March 7. Voters who request an absentee ballot in person on Monday, March 7 must fill out the ballot in the clerk’s office. Emergency absentee ballots are available under certain conditions through 4 p.m. on Election Day.

As a reminder, voters will be asked to provide identification when at the polls on Election Day. They will be asked to present valid photo ID, such as a Michigan driver’s license or identification card. Anyone who does not have an acceptable form of photo ID or failed to bring it with them to the polls can still vote. They will be required to sign a brief affidavit stating that they’re not in possession of photo ID. Their ballots will be included with all others and counted on Election Day.

Voters who don’t have a Michigan driver’s license or identification card can show the following forms of photo ID, as long as they are current:

• Driver’s license or personal identification card issued by another state.
• Federal or state government-issued photo identification.
• U.S. passport.
• Military identification card with photo.
• Student identification with photo from a high school or an accredited institution of higher education, such as a college or university.
• Tribal identification card with photo.

Secretary of State Ruth Johnson reminds residents that they have until Monday, Jan. 30 to register in order to vote in the Feb. 28 presidential primary election.
“This year will present Michigan residents with important choices at the voting booth, whether they’re voting for president or local offices,” said Johnson, Michigan’s chief election officer. “I encourage everyone who is not yet registered to do so in order to participate in one of the foundations of our democracy, and that is casting a ballot.”
The polls will be open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
To register, applicants must be at least 18 years old by Election Day and be U.S. citizens. Applicants must also be residents of Michigan and of the city or township in which they wish to register.
Voters may register by mail, at their county, city or township clerk’s office or by visiting any Secretary of State office. The mail-in form is available at www.Michigan.gov/elections. First-time voters who register by mail must vote in person in their first election, unless they hand-deliver the application to their local clerk, are 60 years old or older, are disabled or are eligible to vote under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
To check their registration status, residents may visit the Michigan Voter Information Center at www.Michigan.gov/vote. Residents can also find information there on absentee voting, Michigan’s voter identification requirement, how to use voting equipment and how to contact their local clerk. In addition, they will find a map to their local polling place.
Voters who qualify may choose to cast an absentee ballot. As a registered voter, you may obtain an absentee ballot if you are:
*age 60 or older.
*physically unable to attend the polls without the assistance of another.
*expecting to be absent from the community in which you are registered for the entire time the polls will be open on Election Day.
*in jail awaiting arraignment or trial.
*unable to attend the polls due to religious reasons.
*appointed to work as an election inspector in a precinct outside of your precinct of residence.
Those who wish to receive their absentee ballot by mail must submit their application by 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25. Absentee ballots can be obtained in person anytime through 4 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 27. Voters who request an absentee ballot in person on Monday, Feb. 27 must fill out the ballot in the clerk’s office. Emergency absentee ballots are available under certain conditions through 4 p.m. on Election Day.
The February election, like all elections, is open to all registered voters. Michigan does not require voters to register as a member or supporter of a political party, so voters can choose to participate in either the Democratic or Republican party primary. By state law, this is called a closed primary. When voters request an absentee ballot or arrive at the polls and fill out their application to vote, they must indicate in which party’s primary they wish to vote. They will then receive a ballot listing candidates for that party. That ballot will also contain any special election issues. Some communities will have additional items on the ballot aside from the presidential primary election. Sample ballots will be available online at www.Michigan.gov/vote. Note: The Aug. 7 primary will be an open primary, and voters will not be required to formally indicate their choice for a specific political party ballot.
Voters who wish only to vote in the special election may request a ballot that does not include presidential candidates.
As a reminder, voters will be asked to provide identification when at the polls on Election Day. They will be asked to present valid photo ID, such as a Michigan driver’s license or identification card. Anyone who does not have an acceptable form of photo ID or failed to bring it with them to the polls can still vote. They will be required to sign a brief affidavit stating that they’re not in possession of photo ID. Their ballots will be included with all others and counted on Election Day.
Voters who don’t have a Michigan driver’s license or identification card can show the following forms of photo ID, as long as they are current:
*Driver’s license or personal identification card issued by another state.
*Federal or state government-issued photo identification.
*U.S. passport.
*Military identification card with photo.
*Student identification with photo from a high school or an accredited institution of higher education, such as a college or university.
*Tribal identification card with photo.
Additional election information can be found at www.Michigan.gov/elections.