Amid concerns over electoral integrity, the Michigan Senate has passed legislation aimed at reforming how signatures are gathered for political campaigns. A key feature of the new bills prohibits paying signature gatherers on a per-signature basis, a move that supporters believe will tackle the issue of fraudulent signatures.
Recent elections in Michigan have been marred by signature fraud, leading to the disqualification of several candidates, notably among GOP contenders in the 2022 gubernatorial race. For more details, see this report on candidate disqualification.
Senator Jeremy Moss (D-Bloomfield Township), spearheading the legislative effort, argues that removing the per-signature payment model will diminish the motivation for unethical practices among circulators. As Moss points out, “The average voter is just being lied to and it’s a wish and a prayer that somebody is telling them the truth when they ask for their signature. It is a financial incentive for them to say anything and do anything to get you your signature, including straight-up lying to you in order to get you to sign on.”
Despite the bill’s advancement, it faces opposition, primarily from Senate Republicans. Senator Ruth Johnson (R-Groveland Township), who once served as Michigan’s Secretary of State, expressed skepticism about the legislation’s effectiveness. She contends that productivity expectations would persist even if circulators are paid hourly and warns of potential bias in enforcing the requirement to provide summaries of petition proposals.
The journey for these bills is not over, as they now move to the Republican-controlled House, where their future remains uncertain.
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