Updates About Ballot Proposals

The 2026 midterm election, taking place on Tuesday, November 3, is just under a month away. This year is especially important due to the large number of state and federal offices up for election. In addition to the state and federal House elections, the entire State Senate is also on the ballot. Majority in both the State House and the State Senate are expected to be competitive this election cycle. Republicans currently control the State House 58-52, and Democrats control the Senate 20-18.

Michigan will also elect a new governor, as current Governor Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited. While the gubernatorial race is typically the top-of-the-ballot contest in Michigan, this year the national spotlight is on the U.S. Senate race for the seat being vacated by Senator Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Township).

Voters will also decide on the approval or rejection of two ballot initiatives. Every 16 years, the opportunity to hold a constitutional convention appears on the ballot. Proposal 1, if passed, will call for a constitutional convention where delegates draft a revised version of the State Constitution. After the drafting process, the revised constitution is presented to voters for approval. The last time the state held a constitutional convention was in 1961-1962. Changes made during the constitutional convention were later approved by voters in 1963, resulting in the current constitution Michigan follows today. Since then, support for a constitutional convention has never exceeded 33%, with the highest level of support coming in 2010.

Proposal 2 would place new restrictions on campaign contributions and political communications. It would prohibit certain utilities, government contractors, and those closely connected to them from contributing to candidates who could directly impact their interests. The proposal would also expand disclosure requirements for political communications, including online political advertisements, to make it clearer who paid for them.

Using the following steps you can see your entire sample ballot on the official Michigan Secretary of State website.

1. Go to https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/PublicBallot/Index.
2. Fill in the Election, County, Jurisdiction, and Precinct information.
3. Click “View Ballot” and a sample ballot will be displayed.

This week, both the Michigan and U.S. Supreme Courts rejected separate legal challenges that sought to put a proposed constitutional amendment addressing citizenship verification and voter identification on the November election ballot, ending the initiative’s chances this year.

The group behind the initiative, Americans for Citizens Voting Michigan, submitted nearly 710,000 signatures, well above the 446,198 required to be considered. However, upon review of a random sample of the signatures, the Bureau of Elections determined the campaign fell three valid signatures short for validity. The Board of State Canvassers then deadlocked over whether additional voter affidavits should be counted.

The group subsequently asked both courts to intervene and place the proposal on the ballot. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene and did not state why. The Michigan Supreme Court declined to order the Board of State Canvassers to certify the proposal, and suggested that the Legislature review state law governing the timing and process for petition signature reviews.

Three bits of Michigan election news have come out recently. First, Republican Gubernatorial candidate, Mike Cox, announced he was ending his campaign and endorsing John James. In his press release the former Attorney General claimed President Trump’s endorsement of James all but sealed the GOP primary race, which until then had been a three-way competition.

Next, the Michigan Bureau of Election announced that the Michiganders for Money out of Politics proposal had been recommended for certification by The Board of State Canvassers. The Board then approved the petition proposal by a 3-1 vote after the submitted signature sample passed the review process by a margin of nine signatures.The Board will now decide on the language of the proposal and give the Michigan legislature an opportunity to pass the proposal. If the legislature decides not to pass the proposal then it would be on the ballot and in the hands of the voters in November.

If passed by the electorate the petition would bar certain public utilities and large government contractors from making political contributions.

Lastly, Governor Whitmer made the decision to endorse Congresswoman Haley Stevens’s campaign for U.S. Senate. The endorsement comes a week and a half before the August primary when Democratic voters decide the candidate that will face off against the Republican Mike Rogers in November. Stevens lone opponent is the former public health professional and progressive Abdul El-Sayed who has the backing of national progressive figures such as Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

The Michigan Primary Election will take place on Tuesday, August 4th.