If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Wisconsin Badgers (16-11, 8-9 Big Ten) at Michigan Wolverines (16-12, 10-7 Big Ten) Ann Arbor, Michigan; Sunday, 2 . Some people are upset at the way iPhones charge. Voter fraud is a felony. Here are some of the outrageous changes that Secure MI Vote wants to slip by voters: Mandatory submission of sensitive social security numbers to register to vote Making it illegal for election officials to make absentee ballot applications widely available to voters The additional cost imposed of having to now rent that space is a big question mark, she said. The Secure MI Vote campaign says theyre confident they have enough signatures to get their initiative to the legislature. Spies said it was a "misdirection to think that anybody is not going to get clear instructions on how to vote." LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) Michigan Republicans leading the Secure MI Vote ballot petition have six months to collect at least 340,000 voter signatures. In the 2020 presidential election, only 0.2% of Michiganders voted using a signed affidavit (without a photo ID), according to Bridge Michigan -- which is 11,400 votes out of 5.5 million total votes cast in the state. "But the drafters dont really matter once its enacted. Contact her at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. "So thats really why theyre not looking for financial remuneration for, essentially. if(document.getElementsByClassName("reference").length==0) if(document.getElementById('Footnotes')!==null) document.getElementById('Footnotes').parentNode.style.display = 'none'; Ballotpedia features 395,443 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. The 3.3 million Michigan absent voter ballots cast in November 2020 beat the states previous record of 1.6 million votes cast in the Aug. 2020 primary election. With a number of petition initiatives floating around Michigan this year, we want to make sure youre familiar with all of the facts. Michigan Republican Party Chair Ron Weiser first outlined the plan in March as an effort to rebuild trust among GOP voters ahead of midterm elections. But planning delays mean any changes made to Michigan voting laws are not likely to take effect until after the 2022 election. "I think something like this is best done through the normal legislative process,"he said. I will have no part in any effort that grants an ounce of credence to this deception (the Big Lie), so injurious to our democracy, Whitmer wrote in a letter to legislators last month. Gov. If that petition collects its roughly . Related:Trust Index: Fact-checking claims regarding Michigans 2020 election. The board approved the 100-word summary of the initiative last week, but delayed a vote on the petition form itself due to typos and misspellings. The Promote the Vote ballot initiative comes after a Republican-backed petition, "Secure MI Vote" which would make election rules stricter in Michigan. Help us get there. Bradshaw voted to approve the petition form Monday, but only because of her constitutional duty to do so, she said, adding that Michigan does already have a voter ID law. Elissa Slotkin announces bid to succeed Debbie Stabenow. 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. Apply today! We needed to be able to give, not only for the lawyers in the room, but everyday people who may not understand this process fully.. The number of required signatures varies depending on initiative type, and is based on the number of votes cast for the governor in the states last election. Delta Township Clerk Mary Clark, a Democrat who serves as president of the Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks,used $17,000 from the organization to purchase a ballot box and a camera to monitor it among other equipment. By, Celebrate and explore Black History Month with WKAR. The nonprofit Center for Tech and Civic Life last year provided COVID-19 response grants to election officials across the country to buy absentee ballot drop boxes, hire more staff and implement safety measures to pull off a pandemic election. What they think is irrelevant," he said. As a poll worker, I understand how the system prioritizes security and integrity. The ballot initiative would enable Republicans to bypass a veto by Whitmer. Eliminating the option would make it harder for some Michiganders to vote. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Gretchen Whitmer has vetoed similar proposals. Unless they have plans to spend just a ton of money per signature and flood the streets to get the signatures quickly, its hard to imagine that they can get 350,000 plus enough cushion in order to have it certified by the Secretary of State in calendar year 2020, said Jeff Timmer, a former Michigan GOP official who opposes Trump and the effort to tighten voting laws. [1], The ballot initiative would also prohibit private funds and in-kind contributions from individuals and entities for state or local election administration purposes, such as election equipment, voter registration, mailing of election materials, election advertising, and recruiting and hiring precinct elections inspectors. On Oct. 3, Whitmer vetoed three bills -- House Bills 4837, 4838 and 4492 -- which she said aimed to suppress votes or perpetuate the Big Lie in order to discredit the 2020 election. I'm not one who's been out there crying about that the election was stolen I dont believe it was but I do believe that there are people who think that it was just as there are people who thought wrongly after 2016 that that election was stolen, Roe said. Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes bashed the new initiative, accusing Republicans of "creating barriers to voting so fewer people have access to the polls." That amendment campaign is awaiting a review of its signatures to see if it will make the 2022 ballot. Organizers behind the campaign showed up with stacks of boxes with petition forms outside the state's Bureau of Elections office. Prohibit the Michigan Secretary of State and local election clerks from sending absentee ballot applications to voters who did not request them. The State Board of Canvassers have granted Secure MI Vote a bogus approval for a misleading petition drive. Gretchen Whitmer. 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. 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 Michigan Board of State Canvassers approved petition language on Monday, allowing Secure MI Vote to begin seeking signatures to approve voting restrictions as a citizen initiative. MCL 168.482b(1). Instead, under their proposal, voters who cannot present valid identification would vote using a provisional ballot. ALPENA, Mich. - One organization says they're trying to make sure voting is fair and balanced in the state. Mar 1, 2023 Updated 1 hr ago. The Michigan Board of Canvassers unanimously approved the form of the petition 3-0 at a meeting Monday. Workers from P&G Power prepare to replace a pair of isolating switches on Stadium Boulevard near Brockman Boulevard in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Friday, Feb. 24, 2023. Gretchen Whitmer. Both can be done. Clerks biggest concern is that the new requirement threatens to disenfranchise voters. Individuals hoping to vote absentee using an absent voter ballot wouldnt have to show a physical copy of their photo ID under the proposal, but they would be required to write their drivers license number or the last four digits of their social security number on their ballot to confirm their identity. The petition aims to assist those who do not have access or face financial hardship in obtaining an ID in the creation of a $3 million Voter Access Fund.. Roe argues that the Secure MI Vote plan addresses that issue. The organization was the beneficiary of a $350 million donation from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan. Trebilcock pointed to the fact that the petition summary was approved late Friday afternoon and the board came back to vote on the form Monday morning. The Board approved the petition form on September 27, 2021.[1]. Secure MI Vote will have 180 days to collect the signatures. The upcoming election year may look different if Michigan Republicans are successful in their petition to rewrite voting laws, and in theory, they could do it with only 8% of previous voters' signatures, according to the Michigan constitution.. Weve tried different mechanisms to make sure that if the people submit circulated petitions or initiated legislation, for constitutional amendments or otherwise, that theres at least a timely resolution to that. The Michigan Require Voter ID and Prohibit Private Funding for Election Administration Purposes Initiative will not appear on the ballot in Michigan as an indirect initiated state statute on November 5, 2024. Why arent they being worked on? The state of Michigan recorded its highest voter turnout -- especially among absentee voters -- in history in the 2020 General Election. Ottawa County Clerk Justin Roebuck, a Republican who co-chairs the Michigan Association of County Clerks legislative committee, said the language "represents at best a couple of significant typos, but at worst a lack of understanding of the process itself." The Secure MI Vote initiative would also bar in-kind contributions. This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Michigan elections are secure, don't make voting harder, Michigan elections are secure, don't make voting harder, A woman threw a house party with 65 men she matched with on Tinder and Hinge and connected with the man she's been dating for a year. The "Secure MI Vote" committee on Monday was expected to file proposed petition language with the Michigan Secretary of State that would make identification mandatory for in-person and absentee voting, prohibit absentee ballot application mass mailings and bar election funding by private groups. President Joe Biden speaks to the House Democratic Caucus Issues Conference, Wednesday, March 1, 2023, in Baltimore. 5. The ballot initiative would prohibit absentee ballot applications from being sent to electors without an elector first requesting the application. 09/03/2021 wbkb11. Ann Arbor City Clerk Jacqueline Beaudry, who's appointed,said that organizations on University of Michigans campus help register voters and manage lines at satellite clerks offices and polling locations. Were very very excited about the opportunity to get it rolled out and to get people fired up., We're not just a news organization, we're also your neighbors. 3 min read. Supporters say: It's common sense. I would reject the idea that this has been rushed.. Secure MI Vote executive director Jeff Litten is pledging a "significant 'no' campaign" against the amendment. 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. Those affidavits are then reviewed and either approved or rejected by election officials. ADVERTISEMENT Visit the FOX47News Website. 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. Elections will be unsecure for decades to come if this Proposal passes. With a majority of the House and Senate supporting these citizen petitions, new laws will go into play making our elections secure. The committee plans to turn in the petition language to Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, which is the first step in the pursuit of a new initiative. On a day poised to see a slew of petition initiatives filed to change Michigan laws, only one campaign an effort to cap payday loan interest ratesdropped off signed petition forms ahead of the filing deadline Wednesdayto land a spot on the November ballot. The committee is seeking state approval for the form of its petition, the first step in a plan to bypass Democratic Gov. While the loudest criticism against a GOP effort in Michigan to change the state's election laws has targeted its proposed strict voter ID rules, clerks worry that the Secure MI Vote. I would hope that the legislature would take immediate action particularly, please if we act with dispatch to get support from across the state.. It is uncertain how many signatures have been acquired so far. Absent voter ballots allow residents to vote by mail ahead of Election Day. Gretchen Whitmer's signature. Opponents say if approved the move would further disenfranchise minority and low-income voters. 0. In order to get the proposed legislation in front of lawmakers or on the ballot,sponsors of these petition initiatives had to collect at least 340,047 voter signatures. Its possible Republicans could pivot and decide to put the initiative on the 2022 ballot instead to try and drive turnout among voters who believe the stop the steal big lies, Timmer speculated earlier this month. It would also require absentee voters to provide either of these on absentee ballot applications. Girls high school basketball team forfeits a game because it refused to play against a team with a transgender player, Fox Leaders Wanted to Break From Trump but Struggled to Make It Happen, Not Going to Read That: White House Press Secretary Brushes Off DeSantis Op-Ed, Sunshine returns to SoCal on Thursday but cold temps stick around, AccuWeather: AM showers before a mild afternoon, High school highlights: Lady Bulldogs fall to Salesian College Preparatory. Initiative Petition . SHELBURNE Twenty-five warrant articles comprise this year's annual Town Meeting discussion, including Article 4 seeking approval of $607,765 as the operating budget. she asked. 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. "And while the process provides for the Legislature to vote on them, the whole process is structured based on which election theyre going to be submitted to.". In Michigan, citizen-initiated statutes that receive enough valid signatures are sent to the Legislature, which then has 40 days to pass the initiative into law. 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. The competition between efforts is not new. The amendment would make the Secure MI Vote initiative moot, if voters approve it in November. "Because some of the questions that clerks are raising across the state are things that could be addressed through committees, through taking testimony, hearing from stakeholders. The group plans to hand over tho signatures to law enforcement and believes that some of the signatures were collected by the same circulators state election officials found committed forgery on nominating petitions filed by GOP gubernatorial candidates, Roe said. He told the Free Press later that tweaks could help clerks comply with the new rules while maintaining online and easy access to applications. In addition to eliminating the option for those voting in-person to sign an affidavit if they dont have a photo ID and vote normally, the initiative would create a new ID rule for absentee voters. 2022 election first.". Gov. If a petition sponsor avails itself of this More than 400 such bills have been introduced in 49 states. Voters without an ID would have to present a copy of their birth certificate or Social Security card and documentation verifying their address. A group of students wants to stop Gov. If legislators were to approve such a measure, it would not go on the ballot. 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