1/8/2021 WASHINGTON – The League of Women Voters of the United States' board of directors issued the following statement:

“Donald Trump must be immediately removed as President of the United States of America and banned from running for federal office ever again.

“The sitting president was the instigator of Wednesday’s domestic terrorist attack on the U.S. Capitol that left five Americans dead and many more injured. He commanded an army of insurrectionists to forcefully overturn our free and fair elections in an effort to maintain power. These are the actions of a tyrannical despot, and they are in direct opposition to American democracy. President Trump continues to present a clear threat to national security as well as the safety and security of the American public.

“For violating his oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, Donald Trump must immediately resign or be removed from office by any measure possible in accordance with the law. Removing President Trump from the office of the president and swearing in Vice President Mike Pence to fulfill the duration of this presidential term will ensure our Constitution is maintained and upheld.

“The League of Women Voters calls on both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate to immediately impeach President Trump with disqualification and remove him from office. Should Congress fail to impeach him, we call on Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove President Trump from office immediately.”

The VOTE411 website, which the national League of Women Voters launched in 2006, served as a "one-stop-shop" for nonpartisan election related information and responses to relevant questions for federal and state races and ballot proposals. Michigan's VOTE411 assisted over 613,000 Michigan voters in the 2020 elections, who viewed information more than 800,000 times- a 61% increase in usage from 2018. That includes a 200% usage bump in September, reflective ot the many people voting absentee in this year's election. Additionally, over 100,000 copies of the print voter guide were made available to libraries and other facilities around Michigan.

August 17, 2020 was a historic day in Michigan. For the first time, 13 Michigan citizens were named to an Independent Redistricting Commission (ICRC). Every 10 years after the census is completed, new political lines are drawn for federal, state, county and some local districts. The League of Women Voters of Michigan was instrumental in passing a constitutional amendment in 2018 that requires redistricting to be completed by an independent commission instead of the political party in power. Over 9,000 applications to be part of the Commission were received and the final 13 members were chosen at random. The ICRC had its first meeting on September 17. Anyone is invited to listen in on the meetings, which are live-streamed. For the schedule, agenda and more information about the ICRC, click here.

LWVMI has a team of trained League members who are observing and reporting on all the ICRC meetings. The League will be working to help identify Communities of Interest.  Read the public comment here. 

Read the complete LWV statement HERE.

The League of Women Voters supported Proposal 3, "Promote the Vote", which was passed by Michigan voters in the November, 2018 election. This new constitutional amendment ensures that every eligible person can vote and that every vote will be counted. It safeguards our elections with audits and more accurate voting lists, and removes barriers that can make it harder for citizens to fulfill their responsibility to vote. Michigan citizens are now guaranteed these new voting rights:

• A citizen can register to vote anytime with proof of residency. Click here for details.  Click here to watch a short video about registering to vote. 
• All registered voters can access to an absentee ballot for any reason.  To learn more about absentee ballot voting in Michigan, click here.
• The right to vote a secret ballot is protected.
• Military service members and overseas voters will get their ballots in time for their votes to count.
• Voters have the option to vote straight party.
• Citizens will be automatically registered to vote at the Secretary of State’s office unless the citizen declines.
• The accuracy and integrity of elections are ensured by audits of election results

For detailed information about voter registration, click here.  Another great source of voting information for Michigan voters is a Know Your Rights booklet produced by the ACLU and co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters.

Inclusiveness enhances the organization’s ability to respond more effectively to changing conditions and needs, and therefore, LWVMI will in both principles and practices promote the inclusion in participation in any activity of LWVMI all persons whatever their gender, race, socio-economic status, creed, age, sexual orientation, national origin or disability. Read more about the League's commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion by clicking here.

The League of Women Voters of Michigan is one of 21 members of the Oil and Water Don't Mix Coalition that sent a letter to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality ("MDEQ") and the US Army Corps of Engineers ("Corps") on June 29, 2017 regarding Enbridge Oil Company’s joint application to the MDEQ and the Corps (No. 2RD-DFDK-Y35G) to install 22 anchor supports on the Line 5 pipelines in the Mackinac Straits. The Coalition members are Michigan organizations dedicated to the protection of Michigan’s water, natural resources, public trust in those resources, the environment, communities, and the health, safety and general welfare of citizens.

The Coalition organizations are requesting that MDEQ and the Corps take the following actions with regard to Enbridge’s joint application:
1. Reject as incomplete due to its overly narrow scope of review;
2. Require a comprehensive review of Line 5 in the Straits that includes an assessment of adverse environmental impacts, risks, and feasible and prudent alternatives;
3. Temporarily terminate the transport of crude oil in the Line 5 pipelines during this comprehensive review; and
4. Hold a formal public hearing given that Enbridge Line 5 occupies publicly owned waters and bottomlands and the threat of a catastrophic oil pipeline rupture to the Great Lakes are of tremendous controversy and have generated an extraordinary level of public engagement. Read the entire letter here.

Other resources:
Under-the-Straits tour of Pipeline 5 (3 min. video)
Area businesses expressing concern about Pipeline 5 (3 min video)