Detroit City Wire

Requiring voters to present identification increases rather than discourages black voter participation, Chris Arps, president of Americans for Citizen Voting, said on the Steve Gruber podcast.

"Everywhere voter ID has been instituted, voter black participation has gone up," Arps said on the program.

A recent poll commissioned Americans for Citizen Voting showed 79% of African Americans in Michigan support ID laws, which is higher than the overall statewide support of 75%, Arps said.

“A majority of African-Americans in Michigan support voter ID because they understand it is the surest way to validate a voter’s identification,” Arps said. “People who look like me know how important the vote is, and we want to protect it.”

In late 2021, the Michigan state Legislature overwhelmingly passed measures that would have increased identification requirements for both in-person and absentee voting, the Detroit News reported. However, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer vetoed the legislation, the story said.

"To be clear, there is no evidence that use of affidavit ballots is related to voter fraud," Whitmer said. "In fact, the Michigan Senate Oversight Committee recently concluded that the 2020 election produced no significant evidence of fraud."

Voters in Michigan aren't required to present a photo ID to register or to vote, according to the Michigan Secretary of State's website. 

Showing a utility bill or bank statement is enough to vote, the website said.