What is the Secure MI Vote Petition?

The  “Secure MI Vote” petition is a deceptive effort to silence the voice of the people. It is not about election security. It’s about making it harder to vote and more difficult for clerks to run elections. It’s a continuation of the Big Lie that’s anti-voter and anti-democracy.

Michigan already has secure elections and strong, effective voter ID laws that work. We just had the most secure, accessible, high turnout election in our state’s history. This is simply a deceitful ploy to change the rules because some people didn’t like the results of the 2020 election.

What would the Secure MI Vote Petition do?

• Require people to disclose partial social security numbers when registering to vote
• Eliminate the option that registered voters currently have to securely verify their identity and vote normally
• Require registered absentee voters to disclose driver’s license, personal ID, or partial social security numbers when applying for their ballots
• Throw out the ballots of registered voters (in person and absentee) who can’t satisfy these new restrictive identity requirements, unless they go in person to their clerk’s office and present acceptable documentation within six days after the election
• Prohibit election officials from making absentee ballot applications available except upon the voter’s request
• Ban charitable contributions, including volunteer time, to help administer elections

Are they trying to get this on the ballot?

No. Signing the petition will not get anything on the ballot for voters to decide. Instead, Republicans are using a loophole in the system to pass their voter suppression agenda without a vote of the people and without it being subject to Governor Whitmer’s veto. If they collect petition signatures from fewer than 4% of Michigan voters, their voter suppression package will go straight to the Legislature and will become law.

What can we do to stop this anti-voter initiative?

Decline to Sign the Secure MI Vote petition, and tell everyone you know to Decline to Sign it!  Paid petition circulators will say anything to get you to sign their petition. Don’t fall for their lies! No matter what they say, their goal is not to get a proposal on the ballot, and it’s not to “make it easier to vote.” Read any petition you’re asked to sign, and don’t sign one that takes away voting rights.

You can also help by reporting the location of petition circulators to the Protect MI Vote petitioner sighting hotline. Protect MI Vote is a ballot committee opposing the Secure MI Vote petition. They will send field teams to help educate voters about the reasons not to sign the petition, but they need to know where the petition circulators are active. Anytime you see a petition circulator, call or text 517-481-2165