FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022
CONTACT: Stephanie Cepak, Byrum & Fisk Advocacy Communications, scepak@byrumfisk.com
Promote the Vote 2022 files Supreme Court action to place proposal on November ballot
Following deadlock by Board of State Canvassers, PTV22 calls on Supreme Court to compel board to do its duty
LANSING, Mich. – Promote the Vote 2022 filed a lawsuit in the Michigan Supreme Court today to order the proposal be placed on the November ballot after the Michigan Board of State Canvassers failed to perform its basic duty and deadlocked along partisan lines.
“We are hopeful the Michigan Supreme Court will place this important proposal on the ballot, despite the Board of State Canvassers’ partisan deadlock,” said Khalilah Spencer, board president for Promote the Vote 2022. “The ‘challengers’ have made frivolous arguments to block this proposal. More than 664,000 Michigan voters signed our petition to place the fundamental right to vote in Michigan’s Constitution and their voices should not be silenced. It’s time to get partisan politics out of the way and let the people of Michigan decide.”
Promote the Vote 2022 submitted more than 664,000 signatures from Michigan voters – more than 200,000 than was needed for a constitutional amendment. The Bureau of Elections staff report validated and confirmed that the campaign gathered more than enough signatures and recommended placement on the November 2022 ballot. Yet, despite these facts, the Board of State Canvassers on Wednesday deadlocked on placing Promote the Vote 2022 on the November ballot.
The court filing is available online.
Key provisions of Promote the Vote 2022 include:
- Recognize the fundamental right to vote without harassing conduct;
- Require military or overseas ballots to be counted if postmarked by Election Day;
- Provide voters the right to verify identity with photo ID or signed statement;
- Provide the voter right to a single application to vote absentee in all elections;
- Require nine days of early in-person voting;
- Require state-funded absentee-ballot drop boxes, and postage for absentee applications and ballots;
- Provide that only election officials may conduct post-election audits;
- Require canvass boards to certify election results based only on the official records of votes cast.
Visit our website to learn more about this proposal.
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