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Oct. 22, 1966
October 22, 1966

Fate of displaced voters uncertain as midterm approaches

For those displaced by the Fermi disaster, the midterm elections may be the furthest thing from their minds. However, their dislocation may hinder their right to vote. Many of those living in Michigan’s 2nd district, represented by Democrat Wes Vivian, reside in what is now the permanent evacuation zone. Some voters in the 15th district, represented by William Ford (D), and in the 16th district, represented by John Dingell (D), also reside in the affected zone. [1] However, the evacuation has scattered residents across the states of Michigan and Ohio. Many are living in temporary shelters and have no permanent address. It is unclear where they will vote, as their usual local polling places are now closed off to all but a few soldiers and construction workers. The State Supreme Court is expected to decide next week on what measures will be taken to ensure evacuees will be able to vote. [2]

But the evacuation of residents in Monroe and Wayne counties won’t affect Selective Service, says Colonel Arthur Holmes, director of the Michigan Selective Service. Draftees who have been called up for service must report to their local draft boards. Monroe County residents are expected to report to the draft office that has been established in Dundee, while Downriver residents will be expected to report to Fort Wayne in Detroit.

[1] I don’t know exactly where the US House district boundaries were in 1966. According to the Detroit News, Oct. 28, 1966 and Oct. 29, 1966, the 2nd district covered Monroe and Ann Arbor, the 15th district covered southwestern Wayne County and Dearborn Township, and the 16th district covered Dearborn and south Detroit (don’t stop…believin’).

[2] I also don’t know what contingencies for voting in the wake of emergencies were in place in Michigan in 1966, but given that the state is not prone to natural disasters, it wouldn’t surprise me if there were no such laws on the books. From http://law.emory.edu/elj/content/vo...html#section-32d54e2fa8c98847f77d372c47fc4ceb :

“A state’s approach to an election emergency—whether it engages in an election modification, postponement, or cancellation—is determined in part by the powers its election-specific emergency laws, or more general emergency statutes, grant to the governor or election officials. When state laws are inadequate or no applicable laws exist, courts are often asked to step in on a largely ad hoc basis as a constitutional matter and craft remedies out of whole cloth.”
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