Michigan lawmakers missed 3,072 roll call votes last year. | stock photo
Michigan lawmakers missed 3,072 roll call votes last year. | stock photo
Every time a lawmaker voices a "yea" or "nay" vote on a piece of legislation, it will undoubtedly impact the livelihood of their constituents.
Roll call votes are an important part of governing, yet when tasked to complete this important job, many Michigan legislators were a no-call, no-show.
Michigan has 38 senators and 110 representatives, and according to research compiled by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, these lawmakers missed a total of 3,072 roll call votes in 2020.
“The number of missed votes could have been a lot higher given the epidemic,” said Jack McHugh, editor of MichiganVotes.org, according to the Mackinac Center. “Legislative leaders and members had to overcome many obstacles to schedule and show up for daily sessions.”
Lawmakers typically miss roll call votes for personal or health issues, but they may also choose not vote if they feel the legislation put before them poses a conflict of interest, according to the Mackinac Center.
While the number of missed roll call votes in 2020 may seem high, lawmakers have actually improved their voting record since MichiganVotes.org started tallying votes in 2001, a year when Michigan legislators missed 21,162 roll call votes.
MichiganVotes.org is a project of The Mackinac Center for Public Policy and is a service created to help voters make informed voting decisions.
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