FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          CR
MONDAY, JUNE 12, 1995                              (202) 616-2765
                                               TDD (202) 514-1888
                                 

          JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SUES MICHIGAN FOR REFUSING
        TO COMPLY WITH THE NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION ACT


     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Justice Department today sued the
state of Michigan for failing to comply with the National Voter
Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) -- a law that simplifies voter
registration and has helped increase registration in other
states.       
     Under the NVRA, most states were required by January 1, 1995
to provide voter registration for federal elections at motor
vehicle locations and other state agencies, as well as through
the mail.  President Clinton signed the law into effect in May 
1993.
     "This is a common sense law that makes it easier for all
Americans to participate in the democratic process," said
Attorney General Janet Reno.  "Already, millions of Americans
across the country are benefiting from this common sense law --
one day millions of Michigan's citizens will too." 
     Many states have already experienced tremendous increases in
voter registration as a result of the NVRA.  Across America
nearly 2 million citizens have registered in the five months
since the law went into effect.  For example, in Alabama, 43,000
people registered to vote in the first three months of this year
-- compared to only 23,000 people the same time last year.  In
Georgia, 180,000 people registered between January and March --
compared to only 85,000 all last year.  
     When Congress passed the law, it recognized that one-third
of all adult Americans move during each two-year Congressional
election cycle.  In cases where voters move shortly before
registration deadlines, they can find it difficult to re-register
in time at their new address.  Voter registration offices are
often inaccessible or closed.  As a result, many eligible,
willing voters are unable to vote.
     Last January, Michigan's legislature passed legislation to
comply with the law.  On the same day, the Governor ordered
certain state agencies not to comply.   The Justice Department
has tried to work with state officials to avoid litigation, but
realized that it would be necessary to ask the U.S. District
Court in Grand Rapids for an order compelling state compliance.
     "We cannot understand why any elected official would stand
in the way of making it easier to register to vote," said
Assistant Attorney General Deval L. Patrick.  "It is unfortunate
that taxpayer dollars would be wasted fighting a legal battle
that has lost in the courts time and time again."
     Earlier this year, the Justice Department sued Illinois,
Pennsylvania, California, and South Carolina for refusing to
comply with the NVRA.  U.S. District Courts in Illinois,
California and Pennsylvania upheld the constitutionality of the
law and ordered those states to comply.      
     Pennsylvania decided not to appeal the decision.  Illinois
lost on appeal to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals and then
decided to comply.  California chose to appeal but has been
ordered to comply by the 9th Circuit Court while the case is
pending.  The District Court in South Carolina has yet to issue
an opinion.
     Three states -- Arkansas, Virginia and Vermont -- have been
provided additional time to comply in order to amend their state
constitutions.  Four states -- Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin
and Wyoming -- are exempt from the law because they already had
same-day or no registration prior to the enactment of the law.
     "With the exception of a handful of states, every state is
complying or working towards complying with the law," added Reno.
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