Michigan's "Promote the Vote" Initiative Had Required Signatures, But Still Blocked by State Board

Today’s Links

Articles:
Detroit News - Word spacing issue keeps abortion rights amendment from ballot; court fight expected
Promote the Vote 2022 Statement - STATE BOARD DEADLOCKS ON KEY MICHIGAN VOTING RIGHTS BALLOT INITIATIVE, CAMPAIGN VOWS TO TAKE CASE TO COURT
BallotPedia - Michigan Right to Voting Policies Amendment (2022)
Citizens Research Council of Michigan - Michigan’s Citizen-Initiative Petition Process in 2022: A LOT of Ballot Proposals
PBS - Why an obscure Michigan board has the power to reject a ballot initiative on abortion rights
Groups Taking Action
Promote the Vote 2022 Coalition, League of Women Voters Michigan, Michigan League for Public Policy, Michigan State Conference of the NAACP

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

We told you about the ballot initiative proposing election reforms in Arizona  which failed under suspicious circumstances.   Now, another ballot initiative in Michigan has also been stalled due to partisan gamesmanship.

The Promote the Vote initiative gathered 664,000 signatures of registered voters, verified by the Michigan Bureau of Elections, and 200,000 more than needed.   But the Michigan Board of State Canvassers, a four person board with two Republicans and two Democrats deadlocked on allowing the initiative to go forward. 

The Promote the Vote initiative would prohibit harassment at the polls;  allow military or overseas ballots to be counted if postmarked by election day; allow voters without an ID to sign an affidavit and vote under penalty of law; create a single application to vote absentee; allow the use of drop boxes; implement nine days of early voting; require disclosure of all campaign donations; and allow the board of canvassers to certify elections only on the results of the ballots cast.

Like Arizona, forces opposing the freedom to vote stopped the initiative despite it having met all the criteria.   The same Michigan Board of Canvassers also blocked an initiative which would have enshrined abortion rights as part of the Michigan constitution, deadlocking 2-2.

The next step for both of the initiatives is a decision from Michigan’s Supreme Court, which has a 4-3 Democratic majority. 

We have articles and groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.

Granny D said Democracy is not something we HAVE, it’s something we DO!   

For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.