FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Secure MI Vote Applauds Board of State Canvassers For Denying Ballot Access to Promote the Vote

Flawed Proposal Violated Constitution in Attempt to Amend

Lansing, MI – Today the Board of State Canvassers deadlocked 2-2 while considering the constitutional amendment put forward by the leftist group Promote the Vote. In order to be approved for the ballot, a proposal must receive a majority vote, including at least one vote from a member from both political parties. Now the proposal will not appear on the state ballot this fall absent intervention from Michigan courts. Secure MI Vote released the following statement after the Board’s actions:

“Michigan’s Constitution has strict rules that must be followed before a proposed amendment can be put before the voters, and Promote the Vote violated those rules,” said Secure MI Vote Spokesman Jamie Roe. “This proposal would render meaningless Article 2, Section 2 of the Michigan Constitution and voters who were asked to sign the petition were not told this fact. Worse yet, the elimination of this provision would allow convicted and incarcerated felons to vote in our elections. Rapists, armed robbers, drug dealers, and home invaders would now be able to vote while still in prison. Murderers would be able to vote, while their victims remain silenced. If voters had been made aware of that fact it is highly unlikely they would have signed the petition.”

“If this terrible proposal were adopted it would not only let murderers vote from prison, it would also make certain that no voter in our state would ever have to show a government issued photo identification before voting and give special interests a constitutional right to fund aspects of government run election administration that benefits their interests. Simply put, this terrible proposal does not belong in our state constitution, and the canvassers got it right in denying it a place on the ballot,” Roe concluded.