The 'Secure MI Vote' petition is an attempt to change voting laws, by ignoring the will of the people of Michigan and going around the checks and balances of a constitutional government.. Roe said that the initiative would not prevent clerks from providing applications online. As a poll worker, I understand how the system prioritizes security and integrity. It's about making it harder to vote and more difficult for clerks to run elections. More:Michigan clerks concerned . "Anything submitted after this date is a proposal that could ultimately be submitted to voters at the 2024 ballot,"he said. Gretchen Whitmer has vetoed similar proposals. "Theres nothing that compels the board given everything else that they have on the plate in a very busy election year… to deal with something for the 2024 election. It's been a challenging process," said Jamie Roe, a spokesman for the Secure MI Vote campaign. If you fail any of the tests, you wont get a ballot until the problem is resolved. The Secure MI Vote initiative would also bar in-kind contributions. Some people are upset at the way iPhones charge. Voting at the polls: You must vote at your precinct and provide a picture ID. 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." Want to see more local news? Both can be done. So far this year, officials in Georgia and 17 other states have enacted a combined 30 laws that restrict access to voting in some way, according to an analysis by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law. If this campaign fails, the effort could be dead on arrival. The bill numbers are 5513 through 5519. The planned petition from Secure MI Vote, a ballot committee set up in December, proposes a strict photo ID requirement at polling locations and a brand new one for absentee voters, according to a . June 1, 2022 (5 p.m.) . 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. Nancy Wang, of the group Voters Not Politicians, helped support the Promote the Vote amendment. 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. "And so the question is: Are they working for their own organizations or is that considered an in-kind donation to us?" The Michigan Board of Canvassers unanimously approved the form of the petition 3-0 at a meeting Monday. Yet, it won't be on the November ballot. 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. Those affidavits are then reviewed and either approved or rejected by election officials. 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 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. That amendment campaign is awaiting a review of its signatures to see if it will make the 2022 ballot. Most issues are resolved quickly, but integrity and security are the priority. What about counting early absentee ballots? To speak with the Ombudsperson for Accessible Elections, call 517-335-2730. But you never know. 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 petition initiative would usher in other far-reaching changes.. There have been accusations that dead people voted. 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. Ojai City Council districts. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Here's an overview of the checks in place to prevent voter fraud. The Secure MI Vote petition suggests Michigans voting process is not secure, and that to fix it voting must be harder. Secure MI Vote spokesperson Jamie Roe said that leaves room for fraud. Citizen led drive to secure Michigan's elections. 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. Getting it done by the end of the year is a very daunting hurdle, Roe acknowledged. 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. 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. The Idaho Senate has approved a proposed amendment to the Idaho Constitution that would ask voters whether to increase the threshold to qualify a ballot initiative or referendum. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). 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 would require clerks to pay churches that serve as polling locations, according to organizers. Thomas said it's hard toimagine Secure MI Vote meant toprohibit online access to absentee ballot applications. Roe argues that the Secure MI Vote plan addresses that issue. Weve been there for you with daily Michigan COVID-19 news; reporting on the emergence of the virus, daily numbers with our tracker and dashboard, exploding unemployment, and we finally were able to report on mass vaccine distribution. The Promote the Vote ballot initiative comes after a Republican-backed petition, "Secure MI Vote" which would make election rules stricter in Michigan. The GOP report, led by Sen. Ed McBroom, said it loud and clear. Supporters of the proposal argue that funds acquired from outside sources could lead to bias and unfairness with how elections are carried out. 14:Ballot drive, suits eyed to fight Michigan vote reforms blasted as suppression. 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. Feb 26, 2023. For future generations and for the security for your own vote please help us. These are improvements popular with the public and do not jeopardize security. WKAR Public Media | Clara Hendrickson fact-checks Michigan issues and politics as a corps member with Report for America, an initiative of The GroundTruth Project. According to an outline shared with Bridge Michigan, the initiative would: Michigan already has a voter ID law, but the initiative would eliminate a rarely used affidavit option that allows voters without an ID to cast a normal ballot on Election Day if they attest that they are who they say they are under penalty of perjury. When youve passed all the tests, you are added to the Michigan master list of eligible voters and your signature is put on file. Prohibiting election administration grants in future elections will cut off a funding source that Michigan clerks say helped them manage a successful election despite a global pandemic. The Secure MI Vote petition was initiated after dozens of Republican-backed, voter restriction bills were introduced in the Michigan Legislature. If our proposal is made law, it would not be allowed to happen.. Secure MI Votes petition would also make it illegal for private entities to donate money for election administration and would prohibit election officials from sending out absentee ballot applications without a specific request from a voter. 3 talking about this. Were pretty hopeful and optimistic here that we can get this process moving quickly, and get these enacted into law, Roe said. Gov. 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. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Secure MI Vote executive director Jeff Litten is pledging a significant 'no' campaign against the amendment. The appropriation would also make it harder to overturn the proposed voting reforms because the Michigan Constitution does not allow voter referendums that challenge spending provisions. 5. The application form would state that voters could only present an ID in-person to their city or township clerk if they dont list their driver license number, state ID card number or last four digits of their Social Security number. "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 . 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. 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