Michigan board deadlock blocks citizen-only voting amendment from November ballot

The Michigan Board of State Canvassers voted 2-2 moments before the 5 p.m. deadline, leaving a citizen-only voting amendment off the November ballot. The initiative, which would amend the state constitution to restrict voting to U.S. citizens, require periodic voter-roll reviews and photo ID, had submitted more than 700,000 signatures, far exceeding the 446,198 threshold. However, a sample of 1,000 signatures produced only 626 valid signatures, three shy of the 629 needed for certification.

The two Republican board members supported ballot placement, while the two Democrats opposed, describing the petition as “sloppy.” Advocates such as Paul Jacob of the Liberty Initiative Fund and Patrice Johnson of the Michigan Fair Elections Institute vowed to pursue legal challenges, with an appeal deadline of Sept. 2 to the Michigan Supreme Court.