The temptation of doctrinaire libertarians is to think that the fair administration of government isn't really all that important.  A lot of dumb things have been done in the name of fairness, mainly by the left but sometimes by the right as well, so it's an understandable mistake, but a mistake nonetheless, especially in this case.

I happen to like Amash (less familiar with Opsommer) so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that he just wasn't briefed on this well.  But I'm counting on the Senate to sit on this one.

That's exactly what it is "a guess" and a pretty dumb one at that. My advice is to learn a little more about political philosophy before you feel entitled to speak on behalf of what others may have been thinking.

"The National Commission on Federal Election Reform, which he co-chaired with President Ford before his passing, found and argued that voters should always vote alone and in secret, a right and a degree of ballot integrity that is impossible to protect with NRAV."

This quote seems to suggest that AV voting should be eliminated period. For example, in 2005 Jackie Curry, the former Detroit City Clerk, was rumored to have visited several nursing homes where she "helped" a number of elderly and incapacitated people vote AV. The current extension of AV voting would have little if any effect on exacerbating a pre-existing problem enabling under the current exemptions for AV voting. To be fair, the lines to vote in Detroit are notorious for being significantly longer than those in the suburbs. And even I believe this an unequity that should be remedied. However, the AV process is not neccessarily the best way to remedy this problem.

When I knew that I would be out of town, I went down to my city clerk's office, showed them my ID, three minutes later and voilà, I was walking out of my local city hall with a ballot in hand.

Not a difficult concept.

Even though fraud through shady programs like ACORN exists already, why further contribute to it?

And certainly its not because of a lack of briefing!

I personally support no reason absentee voting (with ID) though I personally would have voted against this bill because it was flawed badly. Everyone here should agree with me, I'd hope. I'll elaborate momentarily.

This is a tough issue and I know many Republican legislators thought about it closely.  

Here's the DIRTY TRICK PART BY the Dems:

Introduced version:
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2009-2010/billintroduced/House/htm/2009-HIB-4367.htm

Substitute version:
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2009-2010/billengrossed/House/htm/2009-HEBH-4367.htm

For those preferring to just let me tell them the dirty trick, here's the difference - in bold, two added phrases:

The elector shall apply in person, or by mail, by facsimile, or by electronic mail with the clerk of the township, city, or village in which the elector is registered.

I'd like it to be easier to vote.  Indeed, I'd like to see 100% turnout of individuals vote as easily as possible - but I'd also like to see it done 100% securely.  There's a disconnect between the two parties on that point.

I'd support true no-reason absentee voting that had the same protections as live voting, and I suspect a number of other Republicans would have too.  So do I think the 12 you criticize made the wrong vote?  Yes, but not for "political expediency" - I think they probably weighed some tradeoffs (less regulation on the voter as to the forced incrimination of the absentee reason statement versus identification) and they accepted the bad with the good. You've taken 12 (seemingly) good Republicans to woodshed unnecessarily here.

That doesn't mean the ideal can't be passed by the Senate though. And that's how we should combat it - instead of "no" to easier absentee voting, "yes" to more secure and easier absentee voting!

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.

1. Props to Representative Amash for coming online and explaining his vote.  That's the beauty of the blogosphere.  Open and free exchange.

2. Apparently I am (and remain) much... MUCH... more worried about the potential for expanded fraud should this bill become law.  

The next time WE saw those poll workers, they were being discharged from the hospital.

The Left in Michigan will LITERALLY stop at nothing to steal elections and stuff ballot boxes.  

As for the argument that this bill won't make it substantially easier to vote absentee, away from the supervision of elections officials?  If it isn't EASIER then why does anyone think we need the law in the first place?  

3. Chet- You and I are going to have to agree to disagree on this one.  Opening even the SMALLEST new window for the Left, the Right or the Center to attack ballot integrity is a big freaking deal and something that I'm going to sound an alarm about.

4. Gillman- Thanks and...

5. You're right.  I tend to think the world of Representative Amash, Reps, Booher, Lund, and the whole team.  Great public servants who I agree with much much much much (much) more often than I don't.  And given the opportunity I'd vote for them over their Democratic opponents 100 times out of 100.

I would just reiterate that faxes and e-mails are inherently more traceable than postal mail or even in-person delivery of the application (none of which require an ID). Everyone knows that in-person (non-absentee) voting has the most safeguards; that's not in dispute.

Unfortunately, the fraud potentially perpetrated by individuals or groups doesn't depend on submission method in this case. If people choose to fill out false request forms, they will get those forms to the clerk one way or another. The hard part is filling out the form, which (again) doesn't depend on submission method.

Do we have evidence of voter fraud?  Several weeks ago, Nick put up an article about how many more voters there were in the city of Detroit than actual people in the city of Detroit.

And, while that is potentially disastrous, do we have any evidence that massive voter fraud is going on?  Or is this a problem across the state, because of bureaucratic inertia and Federal voting laws?

Or is this a safety blanket for us?

Yes, loosening voting requirements shows a potential to cause problems, but is there any evidence, you know, of problems?  In this state?

Are the Democrats bussing over illegal Mexican voters and giving them five bucks, and then telling them at gunpoint who to vote for... like they did to win LBJ's Senate race?

Are the Democrats going to Chinatown and paying off the guys to vote repeatedly?

We do ourselves no favor in this state, when every Democrat win is treated as "they stole it!" without evidence.

Jewish industrialists did not stab the Germans in the back and cause them to lose WWI.