Full course description
Panelist: Dr. Susan Smith, Vice President, League of Women Voters of Michigan and Larry Kestenbaum, Washtenaw County Clerk and Register of Deeds
Riley covers Michigan state politics, including legislative, gubernatorial and other state-wide elections. Her reporting focuses on political accountability, voting rights, campaign finance, criminal justice and more. She has also been adigital producer at LA's NPR Station, KPCC, and a fellow at ABC News' Washington, DC bureau.
Susan Smith is a retired Professor of Business Administration from Central Michigan University. She also served on the school board, city council and as mayor of Mount Pleasant. Susan has been President of the Ann Arbor League and the Michigan League. She hasbeen active in the League's redistricting reform efforts since 2011.
Larry Kestenbaum has been in his current elective office since 2005. He is the county's chief election official. Previously, he served as a county commissioner in two Michigan counties and a board member on public commissions and non-profits.
Panelists' Synopsis: Passage of Proposal 3 in November, 2018, amended the Michigan Constitution by adding a list of voting rights, which include "no reason absentee" voting andexpanding voter registration options The implementation of the various provisions is an ongoing process. The speakers will discuss these changes from three different perspectives. In addition, ballot security has become an important issue, and this will beaddressed at the local level.