Lansing Sun

With a recent poll showing 75% of voters support a voter identification requirement, Secure MI Vote is pushing for new election laws in the state that will increase the ID requirement for both in-person and absentee voting. 

Among their efforts, the group claims increased requirements and a ban on private money funding elections will lead to an overall more trustworthy and reliable electoral system. 

"To have a healthy republic the people must have confidence that reported election results are accurate," Secure MI Vote Spokesman Jamie Roe told the Lansing Sun. "That’s why we included provisions like voter ID and keeping special interest money out of the administration of elections."

Secure MI Vote seeks to accomplish their goals through new legislation, which would require photo IDs at the polls, an ID or Social Security number for an absentee ballot and create standard guidelines for absentee ballot collection and drop-off boxes. The proposed legislation would also prohibit the unsolicited distribution of absentee ballot applications, as well as ban private donations to fund election infrastructure.

“Those are reforms embraced across the electorate even if security reforms are rejected by leftist leadership,” Roe said.

A recent Remington Research Group poll, released Jan. 13 and highlighted by Great Lakes Wire, found that three-quarters of Michiganders supported a voter ID requirement at the polls.

“The results of this poll mirrors all public polling on these issues and is why we are so confident in the success of the Secure MI Vote effort,” Roe added.

According to the organization’s website, Secure MI Vote is a political campaign aimed at changing Michigan's voting laws to make them more "secure."

With the state’s current voting laws, the presentation of a photo ID is not required to vote, with voters able to use a utility bill or bank statement to verify their identity at the polls, the Michigan Secretary of State website states. 

Secure MI Vote hopes to change this, advocating for an “initiated state statute” (ISS), which ClickOnDetroit reports means their proposed legislation may be sent directly to legislators in Lansing without a lawmaker formally introducing it. 

Just more than 340,000 signatures on the ISS will be required for it to be sent to the Legislature, the report states. 

After the ISS is sent, lawmakers will have the option to either approve it or ignore it. If they choose not to approve it, the legislation would appear on the 2022 ballot for voter approval instead, ClickonDetroit reports. 

An ISS does not require the governor's signature.