Updates About Ballot Proposals

After a quiet 2024 election cycle with no statewide ballot proposals, early indicators suggest Michigan voters will face several proposals in 2026. At a minimum, they will be asked whether to convene a constitutional convention—a question required every 16 years by the Michigan Constitution, and one voters have consistently rejected in the past. Meanwhile, new petition drives are already underway, including a proposed constitutional amendment that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote. The proposal echoes recent national conversations and has sparked debate, with supporters citing election security and critics warning of potential barriers to voting.

Additional proposals could also make the ballot if enough signatures are gathered. These include efforts to expand Michigan’s Bottle Bill, introduce ranked choice voting, and remove the dormant ban on same-sex marriage from the Constitution. Some groups are also eyeing potential referendums or amendments on taxes and minimum wage. With over 440,000 valid signatures needed and stricter rules around how they’re collected, getting a proposal on the ballot won’t be easy or cheap. Still, if even a few proposals make it through, this would signal that ballot issues are back in a big way for Michigan voters.

Three petitions were withdrawn following outcomes of the 2022 election. Let MI Kids Learn withdrew its two initiative petitions and Secure MI Vote withdrew its one petition on December 28, 2022. The Secure MI Vote ballot initiative would have made a law requiring identification to vote, while the Let MI Kids Learn ballot initiatives would establish a scholarship program to provide grants to low-income students for education expenses and allow those who donate to claim tax credits.

Both initiatives were circulated with the expectation that the Republican-led House and Senate would vote them into law, but the signatures were filed after the deadline that would put the initiatives on the 2022 ballot, pushing them out to the 2024 ballot. With a Democratic trifecta in Lansing, the initiatives likely would have been defeated or ignored by lawmakers, especially after the passage of Proposal 22-2 which enshrined voting measures into the state’s constitution.

The Michigan Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit brought forward by Governor Gretchen Whitmer that asked the high court to rule on the constitutionality of Michigan’s 1931 law that banned abortions.

With the passage of Proposal 3 in November 2022, the Michigan Supreme Court dismissed Whitmer’s case as moot. This comes after Governor Whitmer asked the court to withdraw her request. The request, which she originally filed following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, kept Michigan’s 1931 ban on abortions from going into effect until residents had a chance to vote on Proposal 3.