Citizen-only voting proposal fails after Michigan board deadlocks

“I am more than frustrated, I am ready to continue to do battle,” said Paul Jacob, president of Liberty Initiative Fund. “We are not giving up. You can’t cheat the people of Michigan and get away with it. We’re going to be back. We’re going to go to every court we have to go to. You’re not going to get away with this one.”

The ballot initiative would add language to Michigan’s constitution stating that only U.S. citizens can vote, would require a regular review of the voter rolls, and photo identification for voters.

It submitted over 700,000 signatures to the state in March, which was significantly more than the 446,198 required to get on the ballot. To approve the initiative for the ballot, the state Bureau of Elections considered a sample of 1,000 of the votes.

Of those thousand, 629 needed to be proven valid for the initiative to move forward. The board ultimately found 626 valid signatures in the sample, three short of those needed.

The Michigan Fair Elections Institute supported the initiative, expressing disappointment with the board’s decision.

“When a ballot petition is turned in 244 days in advance … when that ballot petition turns in 60% more signatures than the required number … and when two Board of State Canvassers have no respect for the rule of law,” said the institute’s founder and chairwoman Patrice Johnson, “The word disappointing hardly covers how I and other Michiganders feel.”

Many Republicans are also expressing concern with the board’s decision and votes – which were along party lines.

The two Republicans on the board voted in favor of placing the initiative on the ballot, while the Democrats voted against.

“I am deeply troubled that the political leanings of hyper-partisan board members appear to have been placed ahead of a signed and notarized affidavit,” said Anthony Forlini, Republican candidate for Michigan secretary of state. “The four-member board is playing party politics. They recently passed the Money Out of Politics petition but somehow rejected Citizens Only Voting. This doesn’t pass the smell test: it gives a feel that the bureau is advocating for policies that will best fit their election agendas.”

During the six-and-a-half hour meeting considering the initiative, Democratic board member Mary Ellen Gurewitz called the initiative “sloppy.”

Republican nominee for governor John James specifically criticized the Bureau of Elections and its recommendation for denial.

“Jocelyn Benson is against voter ID, and her office is trying to keep this question off the ballot – with her staff rejecting signatures even from voters who later submitted notarized affidavits swearing they signed the Citizen Only Voting Petition,” James said following the board’s decision. “Michiganders deserve elections they can trust.”

The Americans for Citizen Voting-Michigan ballot initiative has until Sept. 2 to file an appeal, which will go right to the Michigan Supreme Court.