Voting is a civil right. Exercising this right is the only way to guarantee that the protections we enjoy today will not be removed tomorrow.

Unfortunately, exercising this right is not as easy for everyone as it is for some.

Michigan has long led the way in protecting the civil rights of its people. We were the first state in the nation to enshrine civil rights protections in our constitutionand create a Constitutionally mandated Civil Rights Commission to oversee and help guarantee those rights.

For more than 60 years, the commission has addressed cutting-edge issues such as housing discrimination, educational equity, protecting the rights of people with disabilities and the LGBTQ+ community. The Commission has now marked new territory in the fight for equity, voting is a civil right.

In the face of increasing efforts to silence some and discourage others, we must do everything we can to ensure that all registered voters in Michigan can cast their ballots.

Opinion: Who will win the November 5 election? Only you can decide.

Reducing barriers to voting

While Michigan has made progress in the effort to protect voting rights for some marginalized communities, others in our state face significant barriers to their fundamental right to vote.

Non-English speakers, returning citizens, and people with disabilities continue to face significant barriers to exercising their right to vote—physical barriers, language barriers, and barriers of ignorance and stigma. Complacency among those of us who do not face these barriers allows injustice to continue unabated.

It’s long past time to question, examine, advocate for, and demand that all eligible Michigan residents have the right to vote, have access to the ballot box, and an accessible ballot.

Who can vote?

Do you have a disability? You can vote. You have the right to vote in person at the polling station and request a standard absentee ballot or an accessible ballot.

• All polling stations should have a polling station that will allow you to vote while seated

• All polling stations should have a voter assistance terminal

• All voters with disabilities can have another person help them vote

Are you a returning citizen or have a previous conviction? You can vote. People convicted of a crime are automatically reinstated to vote once they have served the term. You can vote if:

Are you homeless? You can register and vote. If you meet the 30-day residency requirement, you can register to vote by listing any place you usually stay, including a street corner or park. The address can also be a local shelter, advocacy organization, or someone who accepts mail for you.

Do you speak a language other than English? You can vote. You have the right to bring an interpreter with you to the vote. You can ask anyone to serve as your interpreter, unless it is someone who could influence your vote.

Make a plan, go vote

And remember that every Michigan resident who meets the legal requirements to vote has the right to:

• Same day voter registration

• Early voting

• Absentee ballots

• Voting via dropbox

• Accessible voting, including physical polling places, ballot paper and machines

The November general election is over. I hope you made a plan to vote. It’s also time to make sure every voter in your family and friends knows how, when and where to vote, that they have the right to vote, and that they have the right to vote accessible. Voting is a civil right, and voting is the most important action you can take to preserve all of our civil rights.

To learn more about your right to vote, visit the Michigan Voter Information Center at Michigan.gov/VOTE.

John E. Johnson Jr. is the executive director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights.

This article originally appeared on the Detroit Free Press: Opinion: Voting is a civil right, and Michigan residents have one day left