However, the committee did warn that severe weaknesses and vulnerabilities in the Michigan election system should be fixed to avoid potential fraud in future elections. Clara Hendrickson fact-checks Michigan issues and politics as a corps member with Report for America, an initiative of The GroundTruth Project. To ensure that voters have accurate information about what the anti-voter [] The bill numbers are 5513 through 5519. Hand recounts and audits proved our elections are secure. Jacob and Secure Michigan Vote say State Representative Cynthia Johnson demeaned. The "Secure MI Vote" committee filed a proposed petition with the secretary of state's office that would tighten the state's voter ID law, ban the state from sending absentee ballot. Republicans launch secure MI vote drive to reform Michigan election laws, Were so angry. 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Voting rights advocates argue tighter ID rules would amount to voter suppression and have a disproportionate impact on low-income and minority residents. It would also require absentee voters to provide either of these on absentee ballot applications. Despite several reports from government and election officials finding no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election, Republican lawmakers and some voters are pushing for tighter voting laws across the U.S. -- including here in Michigan. Bensons sending of absent voter ballot applications last year drew criticism from GOP lawmakers and former President Donald Trump, who initially believed she was sending unsolicited ballots, not applications. Gretchen Whitmer Share This: In order to get their effort in front of the legislature, Secure MI Vote needs more than 300,000 signatures and just two weeks ago it was reported that the campaign was nearly 100,000 signatures short Roe said hes confident the campaign will meet its goal, but encouraged circulators to get their sheets in. Under Michigan election law, theBoard of State Canvassers must determinewhether the initiative obtained enough valid signatures. The Ada County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on the petition to dissolve the Meridian Library District at 6 p.m. on March 20, Commissioner Rod Beck announced during a meeting . Voting at the polls: You must vote at your precinct and provide a picture ID. The application form would state that voters could only present an ID in-person to their city or township clerk if they dont list their driver license number, state ID card number or last four digits of their Social Security number. In-person voters without a valid photo ID would instead be allowed to cast a provisional ballot, but it wouldnt count on Election Day and would only be tabulated if the voter returned to their local clerks office and presented a valid ID within six days after the election. Visit the FOX47News Website. If successful, the Legislature could enact the law without the signature of the governor, or it could send the proposal to the ballot for voters to decide. When youve passed all the tests, you are added to the Michigan master list of eligible voters and your signature is put on file. Independently operated voter helplines staffed by volunteers, for instance, might be considered in-kind contributions that help defray the costs of administering elections, she said. But planning delays mean any changes made to Michigan voting laws are not likely to take effect until after the 2022 election. Clerks wonder if the ban on in-kind contributions which applies to any election-related activitymight bar volunteer involvement in elections. Ballot drive, suits eyed to fight Michigan vote reforms blasted as suppression, Michigan sheriff enlists private eye to grill clerks in vote fraud probe, He sought to distance GOP from Trump. The initiative would bar the secretary of state, clerks and public employees from "sending or providing access" to absentee ballot applications to voters who don't first request one. State IDs cost $10 in Michigan, and the state already has a program to waive those fees for low-income residents who qualify for other forms of government assistance. LINCOLN, Neb. However, a certain group of people dont want safe and secure elections: they want power and influence. The ballot initiative would require an identification card, such as a driver's license, official student ID, or other government-issued ID, to cast an in-person or absentee ballot in an election. Estimates indicate places of worship accounted for roughlya fifth of polling locations in 2020. Republicans contend the mailings opened the door to potential voter fraud, and they accurately note that some applications were inadvertently sent to an address where the intended voter no longer lived. There is no evidence the grants were used for political influence, but Trump supporters falsely alleged the funds were directed only to Democratic cities, a conspiracy fueled by the involvement of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who donated $400 million to the nonprofit. Thats according to the committee behind the proposed ballot question, Secure MI Vote. Organizers say the proposal would reduce the potential for election fraud. Michigan does not currently have ID rules for absentee ballot applications, but voters are required to show ID when registering, and election clerk workers perform a form of identity check on absentee ballot applications by comparing voter signatures to those on file with the state. These are improvements popular with the public and do not jeopardize security. Meanwhile, a proposed constitutional amendment from the group Promote the Vote is in direct contrast to the voting restrictions in Secure MI Vote's proposed initiative. A lot of people like to tell me, Well, you could just vote no on all of this, and actually I might not agree with it, but constitutionally I cant.. "But the drafters dont really matter once its enacted. Secure MI Vote is a petition initiative, meaning if organizers can obtain around 340,000 signatures, the measures would go to the Legislature for approval. Secure MI Vote spokesperson Jamie Roe said that leaves room for fraud. Absent Voter Ballot application available - Thursday, Feb. 16th. What they think is irrelevant," he said. Related: Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg and wife spent millions helping Michigan hold elections. The initiative proposes to amend, or change, nine sections of Michigans election code, in addition to adding three new sections to it. 2023 Michigan State University Board of Trustees. If the signatures hold up, a Republican-controlled legislature could adopt the changes into law before the election. 09/03/2021 wbkb11. Organizers of that initiative also aimed to amend the state's public health code through the initiative petition process to limit emergency orders issued by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and local health officers to 28 days unless approved by the Legislature or local governing bodies. It makes no mention of presenting a copy of an ID or showing one to county clerks. 0. On December 28, 2022, the petition was withdrawn by Secure MI Vote. Initiative Petition . Secure MI Vote filed petition language with the Michigan Bureau of Elections back in September and getting the initiative off the ground has been a smooth process so far, said Spokesman Jamie Roe. The 'Secure MI Vote' petition is an attempt to change voting laws, by ignoring the will of the people of Michigan and going around the checks and balances of a constitutional government.. My suggested improvements: You should be able to vote seven days before the election at your clerks office. And so then its just more election litigation, more voter confusion.". "If youre going to use the church for a polling place, you have to pay that church fair market value for the use of their facility,"he said. Gretchen Whitmer delivers her State of the State address to a joint session of the House and Senate on Jan. 25, 2023, at the state Capitol in Lansing, Mich. Michigan is . Prohibit the Michigan Secretary of State and local election clerks from sending absentee ballot applications to voters who did not request them. Supporters say: It's common sense. The term "citizen ballot measure" is used to describe citizen-initiated processes to amend state constitutions or city charters, to uphold or repeal a law passed by the state legislature (veto referendum), to propose state laws, to approve bond issues or tax proposals, or to initiate a recall election. But the president of One Fair Wage, Saru Jayaraman,said in a statement that the Michigan campaign to increase the minimum wage decided to delay its own signature submissions "out of an abundance of caution.". The bureau is preparing to administer two statewide elections and has an obligation to review petition initiatives that were submitted by the Wednesday filing deadline ahead of the 2022 election, Liedel said. Michigan is one of more than 20 states that allows citizens to propose, revise or repeal laws by collecting a certain number of petition signatures from registered voters. And while most election workers throughout the state are paid, some volunteer their time to support clerks with election-related tasks. More than 400 such bills have been introduced in 49 states. Under Michigan election law, the sponsor of an initiative, referendum, or constitutional amendment petition may request approval of the summary of the purpose of the petition prior to placing the petition in circulation. [1], The campaign Secure MI Vote filed a petition with the State Board of Canvassers on September 2, 2021. Roe called such claims nonsense and touted polling suggesting most Michigan voters support the reform. Secure MI Vote is looking to prevent state and local election officials from accepting election funding from parties outside of the government. Why would anyone risk a felony charge for one vote? Raise the Wage, an effortto increase Michigan's minimum wage to $15 by 2027, expressed similar concerns about the recent discovery of the alleged signature fraud scheme. We arent there yet. [1] The campaign did not submit signatures by the July 11, 2022, deadline. Why arent they being worked on? Related:Trust Index: Fact-checking claims regarding Michigans 2020 election. The campaign Michigan Right to Vote filed a petition with the State Board of Canvassers on January 21, 2022. Michigan Require Voter ID and Prohibit Private Funding for Election Administration Purposes Initiative (2024), https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Michigan_Require_Voter_ID_and_Prohibit_Private_Funding_for_Election_Administration_Purposes_Initiative_(2024)&oldid=9045540, Not on the ballot future date statewide ballot measures, Did not make ballot, voting policy measures, Conflicts in school board elections, 2021-2022, Special Congressional elections (2023-2024), 2022 Congressional Competitiveness Report, State Executive Competitiveness Report, 2022, State Legislative Competitiveness Report, 2022, Partisanship in 2022 United States local elections. "I think something like this is best done through the normal legislative process,"he said. June 1, 2022 (5 p.m.) . The Secure MI Vote petition drive is still ongoing. 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