A circuit and method for controlling a micro-electromechanical system is herein disclosed. In one embodiment of a micro-electromechanical system having top and bottom capacitor plates with a pixel plate movably positioned therebetween, a release voltage sufficient to overcome stiction forces adhering the pixel plate to one of the capacitor plates is applied to the pixel plate to cause the pixel plate to be attracted to the pixel plate opposite the capacitor plate to with which the pixel plate is in contact. After the pixel plate has moved a predetermined distance away from the capacitor plate to which it had been adhered by stiction forces, the release voltage is removed. Thereafter, an positional voltage is applied to the pixel plate to move the pixel plate to a desired location between the capacitor plates. Release and positional voltages are coupled to and decoupled from the pixel plate by one or more switching mechanisms.