Voter Citizenship Constitutional Amendment Fails; Dems Have A 'SANE' Alternative

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 05/01/2025) An attempt to place a question on the 2026 ballot that would require photo identification for voting and require voters registering after 2026 to prove their citizenship failed to garner the two-thirds support required for passage.

Since HJR B proposes a constitutional amendment, it requires approval from two-thirds of the members elected and serving in both chambers to be placed on the ballot for voters to make the ultimate decision on whether the state Legislature should implement the policies they approved.

The House would need 74 votes to send the bill to the Senate.

Yesterday, a substitute was adopted that matches the joint resolution’s language with the language approved by the Board of Canvassers for a petition initiative last month and creates a financial hardship provision.

After HJR B failed on a party-line 58-48 vote, Democratic members applauded. Bryan Posthumus (R-Rockford) made a motion to postpone the measure for the day so that the resolution could be taken up at another time. That wasn't later Thursday.

Penelope Tsernoglou (D-East Lansing) explained in a floor speech why she objected to the joint resolution.

“Don’t make it harder to vote, make it harder to cheat,” Tsernoglou said.

The joint resolution’s path to being taken up in the House has involved committee hearings, press conferences in opposition, a resolution adopted by the Michigan Republican Party at their state convention and now a potential petition initiative.

Rep. Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth) said in a floor speech that he agrees that non-citizens should not be voting in U.S. elections, but he doesn’t think HJR B is the way to accomplish it.

So how do Democrats make it easier to vote and harder to cheat?

Democrats Believe They Have More SANE Election Reform

The answer came in the form of a proposed Security, Accountability and Noninterference in our Elections (SANE) plan, which House Dems announced on Thursday.

The bills require members of the Legislature live in the districts that they're representing and the Department of State to verify all new voters are legitimately registered. The bills require state officials to compare someone's driver's license to their voter registration. It would allow the Bureau of Elections to remove a voter from the voter rolls if he or she hasn't voted in 20 years.

A final bill sponsored by Rep. Mai Xiong (D-Warren) would require the Secretary of State to regularly review the instructions on the voter registration form to ensure citizenship eligibility requirements are clearly described.

House Democrats Reps. Stephen Wooden (D-Grand Rapids), Tsernoglou and Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth) are spearheading SANE.

“While House Republicans continue to play to the most extreme members of their base, House Democrats have a SANE plan for all Michiganders, and it is one that prevents members from cheating their constituents by falsifying their residency, ensures that only citizens are voting in our elections, and so much more," Koleszar said.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said she's grateful to legislative leaders for delivering “strong and sensible solutions” to make Michigan's elections “even more secure.”

“Earlier this year, I stood with Rep. Wooden and other lawmakers in favor of a new Michigan Election Security Act to protect the rights of Michigan citizens to cast a ballot, improve current laws, and codify existing processes. Today, I’m grateful to these legislative leaders for delivering strong and sensible solutions to make Michigan’s elections even more secure.

“This is the kind of leadership we need for Michigan – not heavy handed, failed policies like the federal SAVE Act that have blocked tens of thousands of eligible voters from casting their ballot in states like Arizona and Kansas," Benson continued.