Lansing city council: Don't sign Secure MI Vote petition

City Council passed a resolution opposing a statewide petition that officials feel would put ballot access at risk in Lansing and across the state.

The Secure MI Vote petition, if successful, would toughen in-person voter ID laws, require ID information for absentee ballot applications, restrict the ability of election officials to send out absentee ballot applications and prohibit private election funding.

The initiative is being led by a Republican group called the Secure MI Vote committee. The group aims to collect at least 340,047 voter signatures by the end of March, which would allow the petition to be sent to state lawmakers to consider for legislation.

The proposed legislation is intended to "strengthen the security" and "restore faith" in Michigan's elections, according to the Secure MI Vote website.

A report released by the state Senate this summer found that there was no evidence of widespread fraud during Michigan's 2020 elections.

Lansing's resolution opposing the petition was suggested by the Clerk's Office and put forward jointly by the entire council. Council members approved the resolution in a 6-0 vote during Monday night's meeting.

"Lansing City Council supports equitable and easier access to the ballot box through federal and state standards around early voting, absentee voting, and voter registration," the resolution states.

Since Michigan made it easier for people to vote absentee, more Lansing residents have taken advantage of the flexibility, according to city election data, which has shown a higher percentage of people voting absentee since Proposal 3 was passed in 2018.

During the November 2021 municipal elections, 18,000 Lansing residents cast their ballot for mayor. Of those, nearly 13,500 were absentee ballots. Many elections also have seen higher voter turnout.

Lansing officials feel that the initiative would make casting a ballot more difficult and would walk back the changes that have made voting more accessible.

"It would hurt Lansing voters," said City Clerk Chris Swope. "It would hurt voters in Michigan."

Although Michigan already has voter ID laws, the legislation proposed in the petition would eliminate the option for voters to sign an affidavit to vote in person without an ID. In-person voters who forget their ID or do not have one could cast a provisional ballot, but it would not be counted on Election Day. It would only be counted if the voter returned to their local clerk's office with a valid form of ID within six days.

The initiative also would create a $3 million voter access fund to provide free IDs to voters who cannot afford them. Currently, Michigan charges $10 for an ID and already has a program to waive fees for low-income residents.

To submit an application for an absentee ballot, voters would be required to include their state ID number or the last four digits of their Social Security number on the application. If they do not, voters would be provided with a provisional ballot, but it would not be counted unless they provide an ID in-person at their local clerk's office within six days of the election.

Michigan doesn't currently require an ID or ID number to obtain an absentee ballot. Instead, clerks match the signatures on absentee ballot applications with the ones they have on file for each voter, since residents provide an ID when they register to vote.

Clerks also would not be allowed to send out applications for absentee ballots unless one was requested by a voter.

Last year, Secretary State of Jocelyn Benson mailed absentee ballot applications to all Michigan voters. The pandemic-driven decision was upheld by federal courts and contributed to record-high voter turnout, with 5.5 million Michigan voters casting a ballot in the 2020 presidential election.

The initiative would also ban any private funding or in-kind contributions for voter registration and election operations. Any election-related activity would have to be done with public money by the municipality conducting the election. That includes voter registration, voter eligibility review, mailing election materials, sharing of voter information, creating or distributing advertisements about an election or hiring precinct election inspectors and election-related equipment.

"We think this part would particularly impact younger voters," Swope said. "My office works hand-in-hand with the League of Women Voters, as well as other nonpartisan organizations, to try and get people in Lansing registered to vote."

The city resolution opposes the Secure MI Vote petition and any other efforts aimed at restricting voter access and voter rights.

"We are urging, as a council, residents to decline to sign that petition," Council President Peter Spadafore said on social media following Monday's city council meeting.

Mayor Andy Schor also was in favor of the resolution and thanked City Council for passing it without opposition.

"I'd like to add my voice to the council and the clerk here in Lansing, opposing that ballot initiative."

To be successful, the Secure MI Vote committee must collect voter signatures equal to at least 8% of the votes cast for governor in the most recent statewide election. If those signatures qualify, the initiated legislation would be sent to the state Legislature, where GOP majorities would likely enact it into law.

This strategy of introducing the legislation would prevent Gov. Gretchen Whitmer from vetoing it. Michigan is one of two states that prohibits the governor from vetoing resident-initiated legislation adopted by lawmakers.

"If they collect the signatures, the legislature can enact this without it going to a vote of the people and without our governor having the ability veto it," Swope said. "It does an end-run around our legislative process through a minority of the voters in Michigan, so I strongly encourage folks not to sign this."

Contact reporter Elena Durnbaugh at (517) 231-9501 or edurnbaugh@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ElenaDurnbaugh.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Lansing city council: Don't sign Secure MI Vote petition