Michigan Board Deadlocks on Strict Voter ID Ballot Measure

The Michigan Board of State Canvassers deadlocked 2-2 on whether to certify a proposed constitutional amendment that would tighten voter ID and registration laws, preventing the measure from appearing on the November ballot. The decision followed a seven-hour hearing centered on the validity of petition signatures. While Americans for Citizen Voting (ACV) submitted approximately 710,000 signatures against a threshold of 446,198, a random sample conducted by the Michigan Bureau of Elections found only 626 valid signatures, falling three short of the 629 required.

Republican Board Chair Richard Houskamp supported accepting late affidavits from voters to validate rejected signatures. However, Democratic members blocked the move, arguing that accepting affidavits after a 48-hour pre-meeting deadline violated state policy. Opponents, including Common Cause and Promote the Vote Action, argued the measure would disenfranchise eligible voters and noted the irony that the amendment would eliminate the very affidavits the ACV campaign sought to use.

Paul Jacob, chairman of ACV, condemned the decision and announced plans to challenge the ruling in the Michigan Supreme Court and potentially the U.S. Supreme Court. With a September 4 deadline for final ballot wording, the group is seeking an expedited judicial decision to place the initiative on the ballot.