First, I never vote "yes" on any bill unless I have a detailed understanding of the bill. To claim that I vote based on political expediency is laughable. Take a look at my voting record at michiganvotes.org; it speaks for itself.

Second, I agree with Leon that this bill has nothing to do with libertarianism. I did not vote "yes" because I thought the bill was libertarian.

I voted "yes" because we already have "no reason absentee voting" in Michigan. When someone wants an absentee ballot, the person simply claims that he's going to be out of town on Election Day. No election official stops by that person's home to make sure he's out of town. Same reality applies to the request for an emergency absentee ballot.

The fact that you can now apply for a ballot by fax or e-mail doesn't change the equation. An applicant still has to fill out an official form and sign it. The form then has to be scanned through a machine and sent (fax or e-mail). If anything, it is easier to detect application fraud through fax or e-mail than it is through ordinary mail.

In the end, people who argue against this bill remind me of those who argue against eliminating the gun-free zones. The gun-free zones only prevent those who have no intention of committing a crime from exercising their Second Amendment right to bear arms. Our current absentee voting system only prevents those who have no intention of committing fraud from voting. Those who want to commit fraud already do so freely.

Unfortunately, too few Republican legislators actually read the bill. I'm hardly surprised.

Instead of getting worked up on an issue like this, perhaps RightMichigan.com could spend a little more time asking why most Republicans vote "yes" on the vast majority of the bills that come through the Legislature.