Michigan Voter ID Proposal Seeks U.S. Supreme Court Intervention
In a significant legal move, a campaign advocating for a Michigan constitutional amendment has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to consider a measure for inclusion on the upcoming November ballot. The proposal, put forward by Americans for Citizen Voting Michigan, aims to mandate proof of citizenship for voter registration and a photo ID for vote counting.
Recently, the Michigan Board of State Canvassers was unable to reach a consensus on whether to accept the signatures submitted by the campaign, causing a deadlock. Although the board members generally concurred that the campaign gathered enough signatures, additional evidence—required to verify some signatures—arrived past the deadline set 48 hours before their meeting. This evidence included affidavits from Michiganders affirming their signatures, which were initially rejected for not matching those on file.
Following this impasse, the campaign escalated the matter to the Michigan Supreme Court. However, Paul Jacob, Chair of Americans for Citizen Voting, expressed concerns over delays, emphasizing that Michigan election officials face a Friday deadline to finalize ballot questions and wording. Jacob stated, “We want to make certain that a decision is made in time. People signed this petition. Nine Michiganders not only signed a petition but then signed an affidavit saying, ‘That is indeed my signature and I want it to count.’ I think they ought to be heard and we want our day in court.”
The campaign had requested a decision from the Michigan Supreme Court by Tuesday, which did not materialize, prompting their appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court for emergency intervention. Jacob views this issue as one of First Amendment free speech and 14th Amendment equal protection.
“The Michigan court should have stepped in and protected the rights of Michigan voters to be heard, to have their signature—on a petition in which they’ve sworn that’s their signature—count. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened,” Jacob remarked.
In response to the ongoing legal struggle, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanagh has mandated that the state address the lawsuit by noon on Wednesday. As of Tuesday afternoon, the Michigan Department of State had not issued a comment.
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