Express SOS Voter Registration Drive visits NMU

LANSING, Mich. – The Secretary of State’s mobile office will be on the road as part of a statewide voter registration drive visiting colleges and universities, Secretary of State Ruth Johnson announced today.

The 3,000-mile “2014 ExpressSOS Voter Registration Drive” will also help highlight the Secretary of State’s online services at ExpressSOS.com.

“College students may have questions about registering and voting, and we want to be certain to answer their questions so that they will feel engaged in the democratic process,” said Johnson. “Everyone is encouraged to stop by our Mobile Office in order to register to vote or take care of any other Secretary of State business that may be necessary.”

The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 4 general election is Oct. 6.

The Mobile Office tour includes stops at 20 different colleges and universities. The tour starts in the Upper Peninsula with a visit to Lake Superior State University on Aug. 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In addition to voter registration, the Mobile Office offers nearly all of the services available at local branch offices. Customers can change their address, renew their driver’s license, get their tabs and even sign up on Michigan’s Organ Donor Registry. Staff will be available to answer questions about voter ID, absentee ballots, locating a sample ballot and finding their polling place.

University officials are thrilled to host the Mobile Office on campuses across the state.

“At Michigan Technological University, part of our strategic plan includes promoting a sense of civic responsibility within our students and encouraging them to be more aware and connected to public policy issues,” said Joseph Cooper, MTU’s director of student activities. “With the help of the Michigan Secretary of State Mobile Office, we are proud to support this plan by making resources accessible right here on campus, which allow our students to quickly and easily register to vote. The Mobile Office was highly utilized by our students during its last visit, and we anticipate the same when it is here on August 28. Higher education is extremely important, and we want our students to have a voice through their vote.”

Johnson said the new voter registration drive will supplement other efforts to register new voters,
including:

A postcard sent to every 18 year old on their birthday reminding them to register to vote. Voter registration for newly sworn citizens at naturalization ceremonies across the state. A policy in which branch office customers who come in for personal ID or driver’s licenses are asked if they want to register to vote, provided they are U.S. citizens. Michigan’s Secretary of State Office was recently recognized by USA Today as No. 1 in the country for registering voters through its DMV, with 89.9 percent of voter registrations at the DMV.

Johnson said she hopes some of the technology adopted by the department will also attract new and young voters, including the mobile version of the state’s online Michigan Voter Information Center. Smartphone users can use their phone to see a sample ballot, find their voting location and ensure they are registered to vote. In addition, an app called the Michigan Campaign Finance Search allows smart phone users to access campaign contribution records.

ExpressSOS.com, with Print ‘N Go technology for tab renewal, continues to offer the most popular Secretary of State services online. More than 5 million transactions have been conducted through the online no-wait Secretary of State.

The website also allows people who are already registered to vote in Michigan the ability to update their official address for voting and for their driver’s license or state ID card.

Editors Note: The following list of locations will be updated on the Secretary of State website as additional details are confirmed.

The 2014 ExpressSOS Voter Registration Drive Events (Visits are 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. unless otherwise noted.)