A note of thanks...

Dear Readers,

As we head into the holiday season, I want to thank you for your interest in Michigan’s Secretary of State office and for keeping in touch via our newsletter, SOS Express.

I’m proud of - and grateful for - what our team has accomplished this year. We’re continuing to shorten lines through our online services at ExpressSOS.com. We’ve expanded the organ donor rolls by record numbers. We’ve fought to ensure integrity in elections with changes like the first-ever post-election audits and new online training for Michigan’s 30,000 poll workers. You’ll see more news, too, on efforts to assist Michigan’s 680,000 veterans.

Please keep your suggestions coming. If you have an idea for improving our operations, we want to know. Click on the link at the bottom of the right column to contact us.

Wishing you and yours happiness and every blessing this Thanksgiving –

Michigan Secretary of State

Johnson seeks further improvements for military/overseas voters

As part of her commitment to safeguard the votes of our overseas troops, on Nov. 18, Secretary of State Ruth Johnson submitted testimony for a hearing on military and overseas voting to the Committee on House Administration in the U.S. House of Representatives, chaired by U.S. Rep. Candice Miller.

Johnson noted Michigan’s great strides in making sure the votes of military personnel stationed abroad and all overseas voters count, from improved training for local clerks and stronger ballot tracking measures to making the online Michigan Voter Information Center smartphone-friendly.

But challenges still remain that impact overseas voter participation. In Michigan, the percentage of ballots mailed out that were sent back by military and overseas voters was 81.6 percent in 2008; 76.3 percent in 2010; and 77.6 percent in 2012.  When Johnson went to the Middle East last year as part of a bipartisan delegation of state chief election officers, she talked with many people involved in the U.S. military voting process and she and her fellow secretaries of state found voter outreach efforts on military installations to be very effective. One of the group’s recommendations, which Johnson encouraged federal officials to explore, was use of the military’s Common Access Cards as a secure means to send voted ballots back to the states electronically. “As a nation, we have a duty to ensure the brave men and women protecting democracy around the world can participate in it here at home,” Johnson stated in her testimony. “As they fight for us, we need to fight for them by safeguarding one of their fundamental freedoms and guaranteeing their voice is heard on Election Day. Their vote – like the vote of all Americans – must count.” Pictured: (From left) Secretary Johnson, a member of the U.S. military, Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes and Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler tour a postal facility on a base in the Middle East in September 2012.

Johnson proposes campaign ad disclosure rule

Proposal would close campaign finance loophole, stop anonymous attack ads

Secretary of State Ruth Johnson has proposed new disclosure requirements for campaign ads. Her proposal targets political ads that try to persuade voters about the worthiness or unworthiness of a candidate or proposal, without actually using the words “vote for” or “elect.”

Often negative or deceptive in nature, the ads sometimes encourage voters to contact a specific candidate, as in “call candidate Smith and tell her she shouldn’t ignore senior citizens” or “go online to let candidate Jones know you care how he is wasting tax dollars.”

Under the proposal, the sponsors of those ads would be identified in state campaign finance records. Consideration of administrative rule proposals frequently take some 12-18 months, during which time the public and state officials have an opportunity to review, comment and suggest changes. Rules along these lines already exist in at least 14 states and are required for federal campaigns.

Johnson has consistently fought for election integrity and for greater disclosure in campaign spending, calling for increased reporting for PACs, candidate and ballot question committees, and promoting tougher penalties for failure to file reports.

Renew tabs and more at ExpressSOS.com

SOS offices closed for holiday

With all Secretary of State offices closed from Thursday through Sunday for the Thanksgiving holiday, customers are encouraged to do their transactions online at ExpressSOS.com over the four-day weekend.

Going online is also a good idea when branch offices reopen next week, as the days following holiday weekends are usually significantly busier at the offices.

Mighty Mac PL84U

Do you have a Pure Michigan Mackinac Bridge plate yet? First issued in August, they are just $5 in addition to regular registration fees and can be purchased by mail, by fax or at any Secretary of State branch office.

Recreation Passports are good all year long

When you buy a Recreation Passport for just $11, you gain admission to all of Michigan's state parks for the entire year.

This gets you access to events like cross-country skiing by lantern light at Hartwick Pines State Park and owl prowls and dog sled rides at other parks. It also qualifies you for hundreds of Passport Perks that save you money.

Winter driving tips

The Secretary of State's office and the Michigan Sheriffs' Association recommend several tips to keep you and your family safe while driving in winter weather:

• No matter the season, drinking and driving is dangerous and illegal.

• Make sure your vehicle is in good working order.

• To avoid slipping off the roadway, drive more slowly and give yourself more room to stop.

• Let other people know your travel plans so if you don't arrive they'll know where to start looking.

See the full list of tips.

Have a Question?

You'll find many answers online at our Frequently Asked Questions page.

You can also seek help by emailing us via our Contact Page or by calling our customer help line at 888-SOS-MICH (767-6424).