When it came time for Michigan's citizens to decide if they wanted Gov. Jennifer Granholm to be re-elected, I wanted to be a part of that decision. I was actually grateful when a Michigan Student Assembly student walked up to me and asked if I wanted to register to vote. She said the forms were highly confusing, but she could help. She also told me that I would have to use my Ann Arbor address since I wouldn't be able to vote absentee my first time.

I asked twice if anything bad would happen if I used my West Quad address, because I knew that there could be unfortunate consequences if I changed my permanent address. After being assured that no problems would occur, I took my chances and filled out the form.

She was wrong. My address changed, and it took three weeks to figure the whole thing out. Not only was I confused about voter registration, but so was my helpful MSA student. And so are many other students, thanks in large part to the voting laws in this state.

One of the most notorious of these is Rogers's law, which requires that a voter's permanent address match his or her voter registration card. That means that a first-time student voter in Ann Arbor might not be able to take part in that election, especially since no one is allowed to vote absentee the first time. Students are left with the choice of either skipping class and driving home (if possible), changing their address or not voting. This is simply unacceptable. The problem is not just the complete lack of accommodation, but also the sheer confusion that results from it.

Rogers's Law was implemented, presumably, to stop voter fraud. The worry was that people with two addresses would be able to vote twice. Until these laws are fixed or refined, though, Michigan is disenfranchising a lot of its students. Any law that silences citizens' votes under the guise of quelling voter fraud is inherently wrong. These laws need to not only be clearer, but more user friendly as well.

Elise Baun is an LSA senior and a member of the Daily's editorial board.