Most ballot drives fall short this year

By GEORGIA HILL 

Capital News Service 

LANSING – Several ballot initiatives have failed to make it to the November 2026 ballot. 

The initiatives, including a proposed tax increase to fund public schools, a minimum wage for tipped workers and constitutional amendments on property taxes and ranked-choice voting, did not meet the required number of voter signatures to appear on the ballot.

In total, there were seven ballot proposals this year, but only two about campaign finance regulations and citizenship voter verification look like they’ll come before voters in November. 

Most of the organizers of proposals that fell short said they will resume campaigns for the 2028 election. 

Voters in Michigan and 23 other states can bypass their legislatures by gathering signatures to repeal laws or get new proposed laws or constitutional amendments onto state ballots. 

To change a state law in Michigan, supporters need signatures from registered voters equal to at least 8% of the votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial race. To amend the Michigan Constitution, they must collect signatures equal to 10% of those votes.

They have 180 days to collect signatures from filing petition language with the Board of State Canvassers. 

The failure to gather enough signatures by the deadline prevents them from qualifying for the upcoming election. 

Getting a proposal on the ballot ultimately comes down to funding, according to Josh Hovey, a partner at Bellwether Public Relations.

It’s an increasingly expensive ordeal to get on the ballot,” Hovey said. “Successful measures have large, well-resourced organizations with many volunteers, or they pay signature collectors or firms to gather enough support.”

Meghan Doyle, the director of marketing for Ranked MI Vote, the campaign to amend the constitution to allow ranked-choice voting, said her organization ran into funding trouble. 

That amendment would allow voters to indicate multiple votes for their first, second, third and so on choices. If voters’ first choice can’t win, their votes would still count for their next choice. 

We needed about half a million valid signatures, but there are not a lot of big donors behind ranked-choice voting,” Doyle said. “A lot of us are volunteers who were given about $20 each month to support the campaign, so it was a difficult goal.”

Doyle said the organization made significant progress but wasn’t on track to gather enough signatures by November. Instead, it is now focused on raising awareness ahead of a potential 2028 ballot effort.

While fundraising remains the biggest obstacle to collecting enough signatures, Dave Waymire, the retired co-founder of Bellwether Public Relations, said the challenges begin even before the signature-gathering process starts.

“Organizers first need to come up with a strong policy and clear language that can win voter support and withstand legal scrutiny,” Waymire said. 

“They also need to consider third-party groups to fund them, and then stay on it to make sure it’s implemented correctly if it does pass,” he said

One of the continuing ballot drives, called Americans for Citizen Voting, would establish clear language in the Michigan Constitution that would establish a citizenship verification program by presenting a photo ID, passport, military ID or a birth certificate at the polls. 

The other is led by Michiganders for Money Out of Politics to amend the Constitution.

It would prohibit electric and gas utilities and people and organizations with substantial connections to these utilities and government contractors from making direct or indirect campaign contributions to those who run for or hold offices that impact them.