Veterans in Michigan will find it easier to register to vote due to an interagency agreement signed Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the office of Michigan Secretary of State.
The agreement designates three VA sites – the Saginaw VA Medical Center, the Detroit VA Medical Center and the Detroit Regional Office as voter registration sites.
“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 in a statement. “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.”
The agreement allows VA to provide voter registration information and assistance to veterans and eligible dependents at these three facilities.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) said those who served the nation in uniform must be able to participate in its democracy.
“Our partnership with the VA will encourage full participation in our democracy by our military families, who sacrifice so much for our fundamental freedoms,” she said.
The partnership implements Executive Order 14019 and seeks to 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.
“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,” said Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
The official designation of VA as a voter registration agency will come through executive action by Whitmer in the near future. To learn more about VA’s efforts to provide voter registration assistance to veterans, go here. To learn more about how to register and vote in Michigan, go here.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.