3 min read. 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. Voting rights advocates argue tighter ID rules would amount to voter suppression and have a disproportionate impact on low-income and minority residents. More than 450Michigan communities received funding from the organization, including Democratic- and Republican-leaning areas, according to a Bridge Michigan analysis. The secretary of state defended her actions, however, arguing that it was necessary to present a remote voting option amid the ongoing public health crisis. Office of the Great Seal. Michigans nonpartisan, nonprofit news source, The gift that gives all year long. Support WKAR and get ad-free versions of your favorite NPR podcasts. Copyright 2021 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. Not only can lawmakers enact voter-initiated legislation without the governor's support, they can do so without the support of a majority of voters in a statewide election. It was a strategic decision to file lawsuits in these states that were too close to call during the night of election day and remained uncalled for a few days. Once you pass this screen, your clerk will verify you can vote in their precinct. Mar 1, 2023 Updated 1 hr ago. You can read the entire Secure MI Vote proposal below. Michigan stands out nationally in allowing lawmakers to approve legislation not subject to the governor's veto or approval in a statewide election. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. If a petition sponsor avails itself of this Lisa D. Connell. Elections in Michigan are underfunded and private funds helpedclerks fill the gap in 2020, said Chris Thomas, the former director of elections for Michigan. In Michigan, anyone can vote absentee for any reason as of 2018 -- and many chose to do so for elections that took place in 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic. Registration: You must prove citizenship, identity, and residency to register. 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. A group working to tighten Michigans voter ID laws has filed more 514,000 petition signatures for the 2024 election cycle. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Also on the Feb. 28 agenda is a discussion item on off-site valet parking. Select from these options: Neighborhood News, Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines, and Daily Forecasts. It's been a challenging process," said Jamie Roe, a spokesman for the Secure MI Vote campaign. 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. Some Michigan residents faced a fourth straight day . "You know, the citizens legislative initiative system in Michigan is difficult and it should be difficult because we are trying to change state law.. While the loudest criticism against a GOP effort in Michigan to change the state's election laws has targeted itsproposed strict voter ID rules, clerks worry that the Secure MI Vote petition initiative would usher in other far-reaching changes. It is uncertain how many signatures have been acquired so far. (CNN) -- Michigan Republicans' effort to get around Gov. A poll bythe Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks found that itsmembers were "overwhelmingly"concerned about the initiative as its proposed, according toHarrison Township Clerk Adam Wit, a Republican, who sits on the group's legislative committee. On July 29, 2022, Secure MI Vote submitted 514,294 signatures. "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. The initiative is proposing quite a bit of change, and were going to break down everything you need to know. 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. 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. "So thats really why theyre not looking for financial remuneration for, essentially. Interns wanted: Get paid to help ensure that every voter has unbiased election information. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson mailed absentee ballot applications to every voter in the state in 2020, a decision upheld by federal courts and one that likely contributed to record election turnout despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Pursuant to state law the Ojai City Council will take the second finalizing vote on amending the city's Reach Code ordinance that bans natural gas infrastructure in new construction. Create a new voter access fund with $3 million to provide free state ID cards to residents who may struggle to obtain one because of financial hardships. Most issues are resolved quickly, but integrity and security are the priority. Eliminating and replacing the affidavit voting option; Preventing the mailing of unsolicited absent voter ballots and applications; Limiting how election funds are acquired and spent. 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. 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. 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. 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. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. 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. The overwhelming majority of polling locations in Delta Township are churches that provide free access to their space, Clark said. Require voters applying for an absentee ballot to include their driver license or state ID number, along with the last four digits of their Social Security number, on their application. Secure MI Vote executive director Jeff Litten is pledging a "significant 'no' campaign" against the amendment. Secure MI Vote petition makes voting harder, we need real improvement Craig Cumbow, guest writer View Comments The Secure MI Vote petition suggests Michigan's voting process is. Opponents say if approved, the Secure MI Vote. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 9, 2021 CONTACT: Hannah Lupi, 517-643-5153 LANSING, Mich. - Voters Not Politicians Ballot Committee (VNP) today submitted objections to the Michigan Department of State about the disingenuous, false and misleading Petition Summary submitted by the "Secure MI Vote" group. 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. Elections will be unsecure for decades to come if this Proposal passes. It's a continuation of the Big Lie that's anti-voter and anti-democracy. There have been accusations that dead people voted. 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! We report because the news impacts all of us. I find that objectionable and I think that lacks adequate fairness to the public and opposing committees., Trebilcock encouraged the board to delay the vote, saying the initiative is being pushed for no reason other than political ends., Republican board member Tony Daunt told Trebilcock that there simply is not a rush here., Were back here because we all agreed to handle some important mistakes that were made by the Secure MI Vote folks, Daunt said. We arent there yet. 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. The initiative states that voters must provide their driver license number, state ID card number or the last four digits of their Social Security number on their absentee ballot application. Feb 26, 2023. The Republican-backed petition was given the go ahead by the board to start collecting the 340,000 signatures needed to push the Secure MI ballot petition before the legislature. Garlin . While Republican lawmakers in the GOP-controlled Legislature have expressed support for the so-called Unlock Michigan II proposal, it's possible they could lose their majority in the upcoming November election. 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. Spies said it was a "misdirection to think that anybody is not going to get clear instructions on how to vote." With a majority of the House and Senate supporting these citizen petitions, new laws will go into play making our elections secure. [2] At least 340,047 signatures need to be valid. "After the 2016 and 2020 elections, voters on both sides of the political spectrum questioned the integrity of the election," said a statement from Secure MI Vote."Secure MI Vote seeks to restore confidence in our elections by making it . Senate Republicans do not have the two-thirds majority needed to give legislation immediate effect, meaning Secure MI Vote would need to complete the petition process including signature collection and state review this year for the changes to take effect in 2022. The new Michigan initiative is the latest front in a nationwide Republican reform movement. [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. 2022 election first.". 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