Decline to sign: Michigan voting rights groups sound alarm on petition drive ‘trap’

With signature gatherers hitting sidewalks across Michigan, groups are sounding the alarm on petitions they say would disenfranchise voters under the guise of election security.

MICHIGAN—This summer, Michiganders are being asked to sign petitions that could change the rules for how—and if—they can vote. But before you think about scribbling your name down outside the grocery store or farmers market, voting rights advocates have a warning:

It might be a trap.

At least two conservative-aligned petition drives are underway that would overhaul Michigan’s voting laws, including a proposal to require proof of citizenship to register and photo ID to cast a ballot—eliminating the affidavit option that has been used by thousands of legal voters.

Supporters say the proposed changes are about preventing fraud. But critics, including officials at the watchdog group Common Cause, say they could block many eligible citizens—especially seniors, low-income voters, women, and rural residents—from casting their ballot. 

And because petition circulators can legally lie to voters, it can be easy to get misled.

“The vast majority of Michiganders believe our elections are fair, but an extreme minority wants to take away our right to vote and is misleading us on their targets. It’s a trap. Don’t fall for it,” Quentin Turner, Michigan executive Director of Common Cause said in a statement this week. 

What’s on the table?

Two groups—Americans for Citizen Voting and the Committee to Protect Voter Rights—have submitted three separate petition initiatives aiming to change Michigan’s Constitution before the 2026 election. All three seek to eliminate the affidavit option for voters without ID, require documentary proof of citizenship to vote, and impose stricter ID requirements at the polls.

The proposals were approved for circulation earlier this year, but as of late July, neither group appears to be actively collecting signatures. Once they begin, organizers will have just 180 days to collect 446,198 valid signatures to qualify for the statewide ballot in November 2026.

And voting rights groups say that’s more than enough time to cause real harm.

“Both of these poorly named ballot initiatives would take away US citizen’s right to vote unless they slogged through tons of costly red tape,” Turner said in a statement. “This is not abstract; we know from our members directly that some would lose their right to vote as US citizens.”

Who’s pushing back?

In response to the petition drives, Common Cause has launched a “Decline to Sign” ad campaign that warns Michiganders against signing their name to both petition drives. The ads are running on statewide digital platforms to start, and are expected to reach 200,000 people. 

Turner said the statewide campaign could move into in-person organizing mode, if needed, as well as include additional direct and digital advertising to “educate as many Michiganders as needed that their friends and neighbors would be affected if this makes the ballot.”

“Don’t sign your name,” he said. 

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has also raised red flags about these types of proposals—warning that the changes could block thousands of legal voters, especially in communities that already face challenges, from casting their ballots on Election Day.

She also noted that similar restrictions in other states have been overturned by courts, created unequal voting systems, or led to thousands of legal voters being denied their right to vote.

“The politicians pushing this plan are taking something we all believe and know is true—that only US citizens should vote in our elections—and using that as cover to gut Michiganders’ voting rights in our state Constitution,” Benson said in a recent statement. “We need to hold the line on protecting every eligible citizen’s constitutional right to cast a ballot in every election.”

READ MORE: Republicans keep trying to chip away at Michiganders’ voting rights

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