Citizen Voting Petition Drive Turns In 750,000 Signatures

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 03/04/2026) Organizers of a ballot initiative requiring voters to prove their U.S. citizenship before they're able to vote after Nov. 2, 2027, announced on Wednesday that they turned in 750,000 petition signatures to the Bureau of Elections.

Americans for Citizen Voting—Michigan announced they collected far more than the 446,198 valid signatures needed to make the Nov. 3 ballot as Proposal 2. The initiative seeks to make several election-related changes. It would require voters to present a valid photo ID before casting a vote, that affidavit option for those without IDs be scrapped, and election officials be more aggressive in removing non-citizens from the voting rolls.

However, the most impactful reform is a requirement that all voters show the Secretary of State or one of their designees a passport, birth certificate or some other acceptable document to prove they are a U.S. citizen before casting a ballot.

Republicans have rallied around the proposal. Conservatives see the message of ensuring only legal U.S. citizens be allowed to vote as a draw for voters to participate in the 2026 election. The initiative comes after the Department of State found 16 cases out of 5.7 million ballots cast in the 2024 election of non-citizens possibly having a vote cast.

"We know the public wants photo ID for voting and for only citizens to vote," said Rep. Rachelle Smit (R-Shelbyville). "Today the people of Michigan sent a very strong message with the number of signatures that have been collected to get this on the ballot. I am confident that voters in November will deliver that same message."

Paid circulators and more than 17,000 volunteers gathered signatures in all 83 counties, engaging voters in cities, townships, and rural communities alike.

Polling has shown strong bipartisan agreement on presenting an ID before voting, including more than 70 percent of independents, more than 80 percent of Republicans, and more Democrats than not. The requirement that everyone dig up a passport or a birth certificate before being able to vote again may make the initiative less than an open-and-shut case.

"People want secure elections and clean voter rolls," said former Secretary of State and Sen. Ruth Johnson (R-Holly). "They want to know that only eligible citizens are voting, that photo ID is required at the polls, and that the state is taking seriously its responsibility to maintain an accurate Qualified Voter File. This level of support shows that Michigan voters are paying attention and expect accountability."