Petitions Prepared For 'Only Citizens Vote' Constitutional Amendment

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 03/21/2025) A citizens group filed petition forms on Friday for an “Only Citizen's Vote” constitutional amendment with language modeled after Rep. Bryan Posthumus (R-Rockford)'s HJR B in which only those with proof of citizenship would be able to register to vote and proof of identity would be needed to cast a ballot.

With Friday’s filing with the Michigan Bureau of Elections, the goal would be to get the measure in front of voters by 2026.

“There is a glaring loophole in Michigan’s constitution, one that allowed a Chinese national to register to vote, cast his ballot, and have it counted in 2024. We can’t allow that loophole to draw more foreign votes into our elections,” Posthumus said. “Democrats in Michigan created this loophole with their constitutional amendment, and we’ll fix it in 2026 with ours,” he said.

The Board of State Canvassers is scheduled to meet in April to approve the petition's form and draft a 100-word proposal summary. Petition circulators would have the ability to work immediately thereafter. Petitioners must submit a minimum of 446,198 valid signatures of registered voters during a 180-day period.

If successful, the proposal will appear on the 2026 ballot. No such proposal in other states has been unsuccessful, and polls show that over 80% of voters support requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote and proof of identity to cast a ballot, according to the committee.

Republican consultant Fred Wszolek is the listed contact for the group.