So if people still have petitions, they get them in today," he said on Tuesday. The GOP "will try every trick in the book to confuse and intimidate voters," she said. Michigan plot to breach voting machines points to a national pattern A state police inquiry found evidence of an election fraud conspiracy that has echoes elsewhere in the country By Patrick. Want to see more local news? The initiative proposes to amend, or change, nine sections of Michigans election code, in addition to adding three new sections to it. Secure Michigan Vote says they're gathering petition signatures to help prevent discrepancies in the election process. The Michigan Constitution allows citizens including political operatives and special interest groups to initiate legislation through a petition drive and advance the measure to the Legislature and potentially the statewide ballot. 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. "Usually, people applaud when their local government gets grants to help offset some of the costs.". The Secure MI Vote initiative would add several measures that supporters call reforms to enhance ballot security, but foes say are naked attempts to make it harder to vote. [1], The campaign Secure MI Vote filed a petition with the State Board of Canvassers on September 2, 2021. Depending on the type of initiative, if petition organizers collect the required number of signatures, their proposal would either go to the state legislature for approval, or directly on the ballot of the next general election for voters to decide on. The Secure MI Vote petition suggests Michigans voting process is not secure, and that to fix it voting must be harder. Crews are continuing to work to . That proposal aims to expand voter access through things like an early in-person voting period and protections of the right to vote through a signed affidavit. The Trump campaign filed the most post-election lawsuits related to the 2020 United States presidential election in the swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. The Secure MI Vote initiative is considered an initiated state statute (ISS), which means it will require just over 340,000 signatures to be considered valid. Jamie Roe, a spokesperson for the Secure MI Vote initiative, called the Wednesday filing date "sort of an artificial deadline" and said that state election officials could review signatures. If you fail any of the tests, you wont get a ballot until the problem is resolved. Roe said it allows voters to mail in a copy of their ID. 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. The 2020 election was free, secure, and accurate. "Those bills will not get signed into law," Lt. Gov. Currently, there are seven bills sitting in committee to make voting easier. LANSING, Mich. (Great Lakes News) - The group "Secure MI Vote" has six months to collect at least 340,000 signatures for a ballot petition that would tighten Michigan's election laws, including requiring identification to vote. 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. The organization was the beneficiary of a $350 million donation from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan. Contact her at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. 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.. The campaign Secure MI Vote filed a petition with the State Board of Canvassers on September 2, 2021. Private organizations would not be able to donate money or in-kind contributions toward any activity or item related to an election. Sept. 23:What to know about Secure MI Vote initiative: security or suppression?Sept. 5. The board is next scheduled to meet June 23. Interns wanted: Get paid to help ensure that every voter has unbiased election information. "As with all statutory language and laws, thereis some interpretation and that will have to be determined,"he said. MCL 168.482b(1). The Secure MI Vote initiative that proposes new voter ID requirements, election funding restrictions and a ban on unsolicited mailings of absentee ballot applications announced a similar. The initiative is proposing quite a bit of change, and were going to break down everything you need to know. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. Absent voter ballots allow residents to vote by mail ahead of Election Day. 3 min read. The Michigan Board of Canvassers unanimously approved the form of the petition 3-0 at a meeting Monday. 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. Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson did just that ahead of the November 2020 election, mailing absentee applications to every registered voter, drawing criticism from Republicans who claimed doing so allows opportunities for fraud. Were pretty hopeful and optimistic here that we can get this process moving quickly, and get these enacted into law, Roe said. Here's more on that and why some groups say . what they see as a civic duty.". However, a certain group of people dont want safe and secure elections: they want power and influence. The Secure MI Vote initiative would also bar in-kind contributions. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) President Joe Biden speaks to the House Democratic Caucus . The initiative proposes to amend, or change, nine sections of. Earlier this week, Michigan Republicans announced that they would be supporting a petition campaign by Secure MI Vote to enact various election reforms in the state. Dallas Lenear, the group's treasurer, said that in most Michigan counties there are more payday loan stores than McDonald's and they are disproportionately located in low-income and rural communities where residentsstruggle to afford the high interest rates currently charged. "The fact that jurisdictions, regardless of party, sought those funds… would tell you right away that during the pandemic, the Legislature did not provide additional funding to assist these jurisdictions in a monumental shift to mail voting," he said. If the initiative is adopted to the state Legislature, voters without an ID or who forget theirs would have to cast a provisional ballot that would only count if a they turn in a valid form of ID to their clerks office within six days of the election. ", More: Whitmer vetoes election bills aimed at overhauling voter ID rules, More: Petition to overhaul voter ID laws receives state board approval to collect signatures. The master list of eligible voters is linked with public records. Estimates indicate places of worship accounted for roughlya fifth of polling locations in 2020. Apply today! komoros.blogspot.com. 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. What about sponsors for rides to polls? Jennifer Granholm, said organizers of initiatives who missed the filing deadline face a steep hill to climb if they want lawmakers to adopt their proposals before the end of the year. The results were certified and officially audited by trusted local election officials, as required by law. 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. Thats the plan for Secure MI Vote, but the committee is facing a tight timeline to change any laws by the 2022 election, when Republicans hope to unseat Whitmer and fellow Democrats like Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Attorney General Dana Nessel. Though the fate of either effort has yet to be determined, legislative Republicans have said the fight over voter ID requirements wont stop even if the amendment passes. Support WKAR and get ad-free versions of your favorite NPR podcasts. What they think is irrelevant," he said. 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.". But language that would be added to the application takes that option off the table. Citizen ballot measures can be called . Wit received nearly $12,000 and used the money to increase pay for some workers and bring in part-time staff to handle a record number of absentee ballots. Michigans Republican-led Senate proposed a more extensive and aggressive voting reform package in March, but the legislation was slowed by disagreements with the GOP-led House. The proposal could make it harder for some people to vote, and clerks have raised concerns that requiring voters to mail their state ID numbers could make them more susceptible to identity theft. The bill numbers are 5513 through 5519. Gretchen Whitmer. Instead, under their proposal, voters who cannot present valid identification would vote using a provisional ballot. Instead, state and local governments would only be allowed to use money appropriated from the government on things like voting equipment, polling places, outreach, etc. If . Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. Make your contribution today to fund more vetted news reports throughout mid-Michigan! Thomas said it's hard toimagine Secure MI Vote meant toprohibit online access to absentee ballot applications. Support local journalism by becoming a new WKAR donor and get ad-free feeds of your favorite NPR podcasts with NPR+ when you donate $8/month or more! Roe told Bridge Michigan the Secure MI Vote committee is focused on securing legislative approval rather than putting the measure on the 2022 ballot, which could trigger a very expensive campaign. All rights reserved.). But clerks worry that conflicting requirements proposed by the initiative would cause confusion. Tuesday's election was a rebuke of Lightfoot, who made history as leader of the nation's third-largest city. Ahead of last years elections, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson sent absent voter ballot applications -- not actual ballots -- to millions of registered voters to alert them of the option to vote by mail. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Most issues are resolved quickly, but integrity and security are the priority. 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. More than 450Michigan communities received funding from the organization, including Democratic- and Republican-leaning areas, according to a Bridge Michigan analysis. 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. Form approved by the Board of State Canvassers on Attorney Chris Trebilcock, representing Protect MI Vote, spoke in front of the board Monday to argue that the petition is being rushed because the public didnt have enough time to review the updated summary. Redistricting commission is a new opportunity for Michiganders to improve our process, It's time to break Michigans fossil fuel addiction and that means no pipeline, no tunnel, I lost my child to the flu, please protect yours from this vaccine-preventable disease. So, let's do something common sense that restores confidence in the system and empowers our clerks to do it right.. LANSING Michigan Republicans are launching a petition drive to tighten state voting laws following a combative 2020 election marked by former President Donald Trump's false claims of widespread fraud. Organizers for other initiatives have already started looking to the next election,including a campaign to increase Michigan's minimum wage and another to add Michigan to a coalition of states aiming to decide presidential elections by the popular vote instead of the Electoral College. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. . Why would anyone risk a felony charge for one vote? "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.". Republicans launch secure MI vote drive to reform Michigan election laws, Were so angry. MSU students urge gun safety at Lansing hearing, MSU police cant explain 13-minute alert gap, remain mum on shooting details, Michigan Democrats begin repeal of 1931 abortion ban, Share the article you just read on Twitter, Share the article you just read on Facebook, Share the article you just read via email, Michigan has far more power outages this week than other Midwest states, Michigan outraged toxic waste from Ohio derailment shipped to Belleville, MSU shooting: fourth victim identified, discharged from hospital, Michigans lousy infrastructure has many begging: Fix the damn noisy roads, Michigan lawmakers send Whitmer tax cuts; $180 payments are dead, Michigan State shooting: Alerts to students delayed as police rushed to campus. Visit the FOX47News Website. What about counting early absentee ballots? ALPENA, Mich. - One organization says they're trying to make sure voting is fair and balanced in the state. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. If that petition collects its roughly . 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. 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. However, the state currently allows voters who cannot present a photo ID to cast their vote using a signed affidavit, through which they declare their identity and residence under penalty of perjury. Under Michigan election law, theBoard of State Canvassers must determinewhether the initiative obtained enough valid signatures. FILE - Michigan Gov. Feb 26, 2023. Rather than sign the SMV petition, Im urging everyone to support candidates who work to make voting easier and secure. 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. If this initiative succeeds, it will undo anything we ever hoped to accomplish with the Secure MI Vote initiative. The Board approved the petition form on September 27, 2021. Among other changes the campaign aims to require a valid government ID to vote in the state and would prohibit the Michigan Secretary of State from mailing out unsolicited absentee ballots, both moves that opponents say will make it more difficult to vote. 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