Michigan Republicans are pushing to eliminate Michigan’s straight-party voting option. Under current law, absentee voters must be 60 years or older, be out of town when the polls are open, be an election worker or be unable to vote on Election Day due to a physical disability, incarceration, or express religious tenets. House Elections Committee Chairwoman Lisa Posthumus Lyons, R-Alton, is proposing the “no-reason” bill. She says if the bill passes, voters will be able to apply for an absentee ballot at their local clerk’s office without giving a reason for their request. Last month, the GOP-controlled Senate approved an end to the straight-party option. Democrats, election clerks, and Governor Snyder also approve the bill. The “no-reason” bill will not allow residents to request a ballot via mail and they will need to go to the clerk’s office within 75 days of each election. The legislature is expected to vote on the “no-reason” bill next week.