Michiganders across the political spectrum and representing every county in the state made it very clear that they support elections that are secure, modern, and accessible when they passed Proposals 18-3 and 22-2.

The Problem

Anti-voter lawmakers in both the Michigan House and the US House have introduced legislation that will restrict the ability of eligible American citizens to register to vote by introducing burdensome and unfeasible new identification requirements.

HJR B (Michigan) and SAVE Act (Federal) would require documentary proof of citizenship upon registration to vote and also when voters change their address to update their voter registration, blocking eligible Michigan citizens from voting.

Politicians in Michigan have also launched a ballot initiative that would amend the Michigan constitution to undo the changes voters implemented in 2022, and replace them with these restrictions.

Millions of Michiganders voted to make voter registration and elections more accessible for eligible Michigan citizens in 2018 and 2022. We can not allow partisan politics and intentional election fearmongering to take over our state’s elections and disenfranchise Michigan voters.

TAKE ACTION NOW

UPDATE: The Committee to Protect Voters’ Rights has cleared a procedural hurdle with the Board of State Canvassers, and is now able to start gathering signatures for their constitutional amendment to restrict voting rights.

Learn More About the Block Your Ballot Initiative

The so-called “Committee to Protect Voters’ Rights” is sponsoring a constitutional amendment petition based on Michigan House Joint Resolution B. Their goal is to collect 446,198 valid signatures in order to put the initiative on the November 2026 ballot
On April 18, the Board of State Canvassers met to discuss the 100 word summary that appears at the top of the petition. The BOSC ultimately chose to adopt a summary which hides the fact that eligible Michigan voters will face tremendous difficulty obtaining the proof of citizenship documents the proposal would require, and that there is no clear path of how to prove your citizenship if your birth certificate doesn’t match your current legal name.
- The summary approved by the BOSC reads: “Constitutional amendment to: add requirement to verify citizenship by showing a birth certificate, passport, and/or other documents for voter registration; eliminate affidavit alternative for those without photo-ID when voting; add requirement to provide photo-ID, or driver's license or partial social security number to receive or vote an absentee ballot; require Secretary of State to review voter rolls to verify citizens and remove non-citizens using documents in government records; prohibit counting ballots from voters without citizenship documents and photo-ID unless voters show documents within 6 days after election; require hardship program for obtaining required documents at state expense.”
- Tens of thousands of legitimately registered voters will be disenfranchised if the proposal is adopted. Failing to include this vital information in the 100 word summary of the petition prejudices potential signers in favor of the proposal.
Michigan voters spoke loudly and clearly in support of voting options and voting access when they adopted the Promote the Vote 2022 constitutional amendment just 3 years ago. The Committee to Protect Voters’ Rights proposal would force us backwards by burdening eligible voters with proving citizenship before they can vote.
This proposal will unnecessarily rewrite parts of our state constitution and undermine language that Michigan voters approved in 2022 to ensure our voter registration process is secure and modern.

Learn More About HJR B

In January Michigan House Republicans introduced House Joint Resolution B, a proposed amendment to the Michigan constitution that would restrict the ability of eligible citizens to register to vote by introducing burdensome new requirements.
- Read the text: House Joint Resolution B of 2025 (Michigan Legislature)
- Rep. Bryan Posthumus (R - HD90 - Rockford) is the resolution's primary sponsor.
- The resolution received a hearing in the House Election Integrity committee on March 4, 2025, where most testimony was in opposition to the resolution.
- The resolution passed out of committee on a party line vote, with all Republicans voting in favor and all Democrats voting against, on March 11, 2025.
The sponsors of HJR B have made it clear they intend to gather petition signatures for a constitutional ballot initiative in order to place the proposed amendment on the November 2026 ballot.
- Supporters filed a Ballot Question Committee (Committee to Protect Voters' Rights). They need to collect 446,198 valid signatures in order to put the initiative on the 2026 ballot.
HJR B is not a voter ID bill, it is a proof of citizenship bill that forces voters to produce difficult-to-obtain and costly documentation in order to prove that they are eligible. The amendment would require that upon registering to vote, individuals provide documentary proof of citizenship, like a passport, naturalization papers, or birth certificate.
Only 39.7% of Michigan citizens have a valid passport, well below the national average of 53.1%. Almost 6 million Michigan citizens do not have a valid passport that could easily prove their citizenship.
HJR B would have a huge impact on seniors, adoptees, college students, tribal citizens, low-income earners, people in rural communities, Black Michiganders, and active-duty military servicemembers.
HJR B is most likely to disenfranchise women – especially married women. 2.2 million Michigan women don’t have a birth certificate that matches their legal married name. HJR B provides no clear path for them to prove citizenship.
HJR B will create chaos in Michigan elections, and place additional burdens on local clerks and election administrators, making our entire election process less efficient and more expensive.

Learn More About SAVE Act

The SAVE Act was first introduced in 2024 as H.R. 8281 and re-introduced in 2025 as H.R. 22 by Rep. Chip Roy (R - TX21).
- Read the text: H.R. 22 - SAVE Act (Congress.gov)
- During the 2023-2024 session, the SAVE Act passed the House in a vote of 221 - 198.
The SAVE Act only needs to secure a simple majority in the US House and 60 votes in the Senate to advance to President Trump’s desk and be signed into law.
The SAVE Act would require every single American citizen to bring documentary proof of citizenship - like a passport or original copy of a birth certificate - in person to register to vote or update their voter registration. (Michigan Real ID would not meet the required standard)
This would especially harm the two-thirds of Black Americans who lack a valid U.S. passport, the tens of millions of Americans who do not have readily available access to their birth certificates, and millions of married women who do not have birth certificates with their current legal name.
In Michigan, hundreds of thousands of eligible citizens are estimated to not have readily available access to the documentation required by the SAVE Act.
Federal passage of the SAVE Act would apply only to federal elections, forcing the state to maintain two separate voter registration rolls and creating additional costs and burdens for our local clerks and election administrators.

Learn More About the President's Executive Order on Elections

On March 25, 2025 the president signed an executive order titled Preserving And Protecting The Integrity Of American Elections. This order, which closely mirrors the SAVE act, is an attempt to stage a federal takeover of our elections, and could prove disastrous for future elections.
The order, as written, would directly undermine not just Michigan’s electoral systems, but the will of voters of Michigan who chose, through direct democracy in Proposals 18-2, 18-3, and 22-2, to establish our current secure, modern, and accessible election system.
The order seeks to mandate documentary proof of citizenship for registering to vote in federal elections, but only specifies a US passport; REAL ID that indicates citizenship (most REAL IDs, including Michigan, would not qualify); a military ID that indicates citizenship; or a government-issued ID that indicates citizenship (again, most IDs - including in Michigan - do not qualify).
- In effect, the order seeks to restrict voter registration to only citizens who hold a valid US passport.
The order also threatens to hold federal election funding hostage if states do not comply with the voter suppression policies, even though removing funding would only result in making our elections less secure.
Most terrifyingly, the order seeks to put DOGE, and the unelected, unaccountable billionaire who runs it, in charge of verifying the eligibility of voters on state voter rolls.
On April 24, a federal judge partially blocked aspects of the order, including the requirement for voters to present documentary proof of citizenship (specified as a passport) in order to register and the requirement for federal voter registration agencies to “assess” the citizenship of individuals who receive public assistance.

What Can You Do?

Take action now to stop this blatant attempt at voter suppression!

Join our Dial for Democracy citizen lobbying program. Your lawmakers need to know that endangering voting access for eligible Michigan voters is unacceptable, and that blocking both the SAVE Act and HJR B is an urgent priority. Sign up today to get specific email instructions on how to contact your US Congressional representatives and state lawmakers, and a script to follow when you call.
Submit a Letter to the Editor to your local newspaper. Let your legislator and your community know that the SAVE Act and HJR B are a threat to Michigan voters and our elections.
Become a VNP volunteer using the volunteer sign-up form below to get connected to a volunteer team in your local area.

Why It Matters

Michigan’s elections are already secure, accessible, and transparent. That’s why we need to protect them now.

HJR B does not have enough support in the legislature to garner the required two-thirds majority in both chambers that would place it on the ballot for voter approval. However, supporters of the amendment are taking steps towards a constitutional ballot initiative campaign called the Committee to Protect Voters’ Rights in order to get the measure on the 2026 November ballot. The Board of State Canvassers has approved a 100 word petition summary, and they are cleared to begin collecting signatures as early as this spring.

The SAVE Act only needs to secure a simple majority in the US House and 60 votes in the Senate to advance to President Trump’s desk and be signed into law. Every Michigander who supports democracy and wants to protect our elections must work together to show our elected officials in Congress that Michigan doesn’t need or want any federal interference in our elections.

TAKE ACTION NOW