Three Michigan VA locations will pilot voter registration sites

Tuesday, on National Voter Registration Day, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the office of the Michigan Secretary of State announced the signing of an interagency agreement to designate the Saginaw VA Medical Center, the Detroit VA Medical Center, and the Detroit Regional Office as voter registration sites. This agreement will empower VA to provide voter registration information and assistance to Veterans and eligible dependents at these three facilities.

“I’m proud today to announce this historic partnership between the state of Michigan and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure we expand opportunities for all veterans and their families to play an active role in our democracy,” said Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. “This partnership will break down many barriers that keep veterans from participating in our democratic process and will provide the information and tools they need to fully exercise their voting rights in every election.”

“Supporting our nation’s Veterans includes making sure they can fully participate in our democratic process by voting,” said Acting Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Guy Kiyokawa. “Veterans fought for the rights and freedoms that define us all as Americans, and it’s our job to make sure they can enjoy those rights and freedoms here at home.”

“Those who served our nation in uniform must be able to participate in our democracy,” said Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “Three Michigan VA locations will become sites for veterans and their families to register to vote, ensuring their voices are heard in our elections. In Michigan, we have significantly expanded civil rights this year by implementing ballot Proposal 2, which made it easier to vote in a secure way across the state. Our partnership with the VA will encourage full participation in our democracy by our military families, who sacrifice so much for our fundamental freedoms.”

Through this partnership, VA is working to make it easier for Michigan Veterans to exercise their fundamental right to vote, as part of implementing Executive Order 14019, “Promoting Access to Voting.” This joint effort will “expand citizens’ opportunities to register to vote and to obtain information about, and participate in, the electoral process to make voting more accessible to all Americans.”

The official designation of VA as a voter registration site will come through an executive order by Whitmer in the coming weeks.

To learn more about VA’s efforts to provide voter registration assistance to Veterans, go to How Veterans Can Register to Vote (www.va.gov/initiatives/vote). To learn more about how to register and vote in Michigan, go to Michigan Voter Information Center (state.mi.us).