RESOURCES:
Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II
TRANSCRIPTION:
David Fair:This is 89 one WEMU. And while the campaigning has been going on for better than a year, voting is about to get underway in Michigan for the November 2024 general elections. I'm David Fair, and, as of today, township, city and county clerks and election officials have absentee ballots on hand and ready to mail out. Voter approved changes to the state constitution in the November 2022 elections aimed to improve voter access and ultimately participation and turnout. Those measures were supported by Governor Whitmer and her administration. And the get out the vote efforts continue. Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist is a part of that effort and is a proponent of early voting in Michigan. And today, he's on the other end of the WEMU news line. Thank you for making time for us today, Lieutenant Governor!
Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist: Good morning! Happy absentee ballot arrival day! Very excited to be here!
David Fair: Well, no election comes without a speed bump or two. Robert F. Kennedy Junior's been trying to get his name off Michigan ballots since he dropped out of the race. A Livingston County community was in courts past the ballot printing days, trying to remove a cannabis question. In Ann Arbor, there's a ballot question to be decided that may or may not be constitutional. But all the ballots are printed. All are ready to go. From a statewide perspective, what kind of reports have you been getting about the process that leads us to today?
Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist: I've been having conversations with local election administrators and the people who are going to volunteer to count ballots, and they are excited about this fall's process because, for the first time ever, we're going to have nine days of early voting starting in the days leading up to November 5th. And they are eager about the new tools that the Michigan Legislature has given them to be able to process absentee ballots. But all of that starts with people getting out their pens and getting out there and filling out their absentee ballot request forms. And for those who've already done so, they're going to start getting ballots in their mailbox today. We're expecting that voter turnout will be incredibly high this election, building on the strength that we've seen with Michigan voter turnout over the last several elections, because we want as many people as possible to participate in the voting process. We think that's a good thing. And we think that Michiganders want everyone to raise their voices and be heard in this election. And I think when Michigan votes in big numbers, they're going to be voting to elect Kamala Harris to be the next president.
David Fair: Election integrity--it has been repeatedly called into question by the Trump campaign, and it's made its way down ballot as well, as I'm sure you're well aware. To this point, there's absolutely no evidence of voter fraud here or anywhere. Nonetheless, because of misinformation, scrutiny is going to once again be as big as ever. What efforts has Michigan taken to try and further quell those concerns?
Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist: Well, let's be really clear that they are completely baseless. They're coming on the fact that former President Trump and Republicans are frustrated because they keep losing, because their ideas are not the ones that Michigan voters want to see in their representative government. The Trump campaign challenged the election results in Michigan like 200 times in 2020, and they went over 0 for 200 in every single court case because our system is strong and it was able to withstand those legal challenges. Our system is even better today and more robust today with people and our administrators and officials having even more experience than they did four years ago. So, we're confident in the processes. And, of course, we'll make sure that if any problems arise, we will address them, just like our confident professionals always do. People can vote with confidence in Michigan. They can vote absentee without excuse with confidence in Michigan. And they should go to iwillvote.com/MI to get the information about how to request an absentee ballot, how to return their absentee ballot to find their polling location and have the information that they need to make sure they can cast their ballot with confidence.
David Fair: This is 89 one WEMU. We're talking with Michigan Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist as early voting in Michigan is getting underway. Another issue on the minds of voters in the lead up to Election Day, November 5th is political violence and poll security. Former President Trump was shot at once and another potential shooter arrested. A person with a gun was stopped while approaching a vehicle that former President Barack Obama was riding in all across the state. You can find reports of people tearing up and removing people's political signs. Has the state taken additional measures to ensure voter safety when in-person voting begins October 26th and for Election Day, November 5th?
Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist: We have taken steps to make sure that polling places are safe and that the amazing people of Michigan who volunteer and who work at polling locations and work to count ballots that have been cast that they are safe in those places of work as well. This political violence is disgusting, and it is all rooted, frankly, in the type of rhetoric and hatred and vitriol that's been coming since Donald Trump crashed into our political scene in 2015. And it's very dangerous. And it should not have any place in American politics. It shouldn't even have a place in American culture, frankly. And the fact that it does speaks to why we need a change in our political culture. We need to exorcise this demon of Trump-inspired violence and make sure now that people can be safe and vote with confidence, but also that people can be confident that their public servants are going to serve them without encouraging people to violence.
David Fair: Another issue, with poll workers in particular, is that many are getting older and to the point in life where they want to step away from volunteering and working as election poll workers. We don't see enough younger people stepping up to fill all the needed positions. I know there are many needed in Washtenaw County. Is it going to be an issue in November?
Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist: You know, we always are working to recruit more people and a more broad set of people to work in our polling locations and be part of the election worker process and to make sure they have great training. We've been working with a lot of companies to give folks a day off to be able to volunteer their time on these days. I think you'll see a record number of students stepping up to participate in this process as workers. So, yes, I appreciate the service that so many people have given for so many years to being election workers. In my polling location in Detroit, for example, we've had a group of women who have really stood tall there for a long time. But I also know that we're going to be seeing a changing of the guard. And that generational shift happens because more young people are getting involved and engaged in the political process at every level. I think you're going to see a changing pace of who's working at our polling sites, which means they're going to be safe and secure for years to come.
David Fair: Well, you are a Democrat. You were elected as such. You are going to vote as such in the upcoming election. And you have a vested interest in the outcomes of the elections, as we've heard in this conversation. But you do represent all of the people of the state of Michigan. How do you respond to those who may contend you prefer only Democrats exercise their right to vote?
Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist: Well, let me be clear, first of all, that all of us have a vested interest in the results of this election. All of our people who are our families have a vested interest in the results of this election. Making sure that we have the right type of leadership at every level of government that's delivering a good government that provides access to a dream of health and wealth is really important. And I'm saying that as a parent of twins who just turned 11 years old yesterday and a kindergartner. Like, I want to make sure that we get the right folks in office who can see the value of every single person in Michigan. And I think that, frankly, the choice is very clear. You have a candidate in Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz, who have an inclusive vision of the future, who believe that all of us have the potential to be successful. And they're providing pathways to everything from homeownership to entrepreneurship to make sure that people can be their best selves in the state of Michigan and across America. And that's in contrast with Donald Trump and J.D. Vance, whose small vision of the future does not include immigrants. It does not include women's ability to make their own decisions about their own bodies. It does not include an investment in public education--the kind of education the majority of children in Michigan get. And so, I think the choice is pretty clear. My interest in making sure that every person in Michigan has the chance to be their best and be successful here in this beautiful state. And I think there's really one team is the clear choice to get that done.
David Fair: Thank you so much for the time today!
Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist: Thank you!
David Fair: That is Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist, advocating for early voting and full voter participation in the democratic process. As we quickly move to Election Day on Tuesday, November 5th, keep a dialed in to WEMU for all of your election news between now and then, and you'll find all of that information on our website as well at wemu.org. I'm David Fair, and this is your community NPR station, 89 one WEMU.
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