In an effort to increase voter participation in future elections, the state Legislature is looking at a bill that the bill"s supporters contend would make it easier for college students to vote.

Current law specifies that if a Michigan resident registers to vote by mail, then he or she must show up in person to cast his or her ballot during his or her first time voting. After that, they may vote by absentee ballot. People who register to vote in person may vote by absentee their first time.

Under a bill introduced by Rep. Nancy Cassis (R-Novi), a first-time voter who registers to vote by mail may also vote by absentee ballot via the U.S. Postal Service so long as the voter gets his or her signature notarized.

The current rule, which is designed to prevent fictitious persons from voting, Cassis said, "presents a problem especially to, say, an 18-year-old, a brand new voter, who is away at college and could not come home and return on election day."

"It"s also a problem for senior citizens who may have a difficulty getting to the polling place on election day or individuals who are first-time voters and have to be out of town," she added.

The bill was referred to the Committee on Redistricting and Elections.

Interim Ann Arbor City Clerk Yvonne Carl said the bill was a "step in the right direction," and said students should have little difficulty finding a notary, but added that finding a notary could prove difficult for members of the armed forces currently overseas.

"Sometimes it isn"t easy to find a notary when you"re in a different country," she said.

The bill also received support from Michigan Student Assembly Treasurer Josh Samek, former chairman of MSA"s Voice Your Vote committee.

"I think that"s definitely a good idea. There were a number of people during the November election who wanted to vote in their home area of Michigan but found it virtually impossible to travel home on a Tuesday, so they registered to vote in Ann Arbor or didn"t vote at all that day," he said.

"Obviously having to get your signature notarized is not the easiest thing in the world, but it"s something that"s easy enough to do to allow a lot of people to vote absentee," he added.

Elizabeth Boyd, a spokeswoman for Secretary of State Candice Miller, Michigan"s chief elections officer, said Miller had not taken a position on the bill yet.

Cassis expressed optimism that the bill would be enacted.

"I would be very surprised if there were legislators who did not feel this is a real advance in terms of election reform. I think it"s going to be very positive and get very widespread support, maybe even unanimous support," she said.

But Carl said she expected the bill"s effect, if enacted into law, to be minimal.

"I think most of the college students probably registered in person, and if they did it by mail, it"s probably not a difficult thing to stop off at their clerk"s office, pick up the application for the absentee ballot, just fill it out right there."