TIME SENSITIVE Call to Action: Americans for Citizen Voting (AVC) Initiative Imperiled

WHAT/The Call to Action(s)

1) Submit a statement to the Board of State Canvassers (BOSC) before Thursday, August 20, 5:00 p.m. ET and/or 2) Attend the BOSC meeting Monday, August 24, 10:00 a.m.

WHY

The Board of State Canvassers will meet on Monday, August 24 to vote on whether to certify the signatures needed to put the state constitutional amendment — Americans for Citizen Voting - MI ballot initiative — on the November 2026 ballot.

On Monday, August 17, the BOSC staff recommended against certifying the signatures.

If the signatures are certified, the BOSC will then vote to approve or deny a 100-word summary of the proposal (see below), the language that will appear on the November ballot.

HOW TO TAKE ACTION

1. URGENT -- Submit written comment, voicing your support for the BOSC accepting the signatures for Americans for Citizen Voting and voicing your concerns about the verification process, by Thursday, August 20, 5:00 p.m. ET. Send your comments to: MDOS-Canvassers@Michigan.gov

2. Attend the BOSC meeting on Monday, at 10:00 a.m. to share your comments publicly. Location: Binsfeld Office Building, Room 1100, 201 Townsend Street, Lansing, MI 48933. NOTE: Public comment comes at the end of the meeting.

   
   

To have the greatest impact, PIME strongly recommends sending written comment by 5:00 p.m. ET, Thursday, August 20.

If you can attend the BOSC meeting on Monday, your comments may be limited to the proposed 100-word summary language (see below). A strong presence in support of Citizens Only Voting at the meeting on Monday sends its own powerful, visual message.

RECOMMENDED POINTS OF CONCERN FOR COMMENT

1. Signatures were submitted in March and concerns were raised about slow-walking the proposal through the process so that decisions would be last minute and any remedies would be rushed or off the table due to time constraints.

2. It isn't clear the signatures were randomly selected for verification. There is no transparency on the signature selection process. The process for signature selection is determined by a third party vendor utilizing a custom-designed computer program.

3. Although supporters could submit Freedom of Information Act requests to see the signatures that have been flagged as problems, citizens have no way to verify the signatures don't match in order to make their comparison for validity. The staff's assessment seems to be the final word with no opportunity to review their methods.

4. With your comments, be sure to include your city of residence. It's important to show you are a Michigan resident.

BALLOT SUMMARY LANGUAGE

Proposal 26-2

A proposal to amend the state constitution to require

citizenship verification for all registered voters, require

showing a document proving citizenship to register to vote,

and to change photo ID requirements for voting

This proposed constitutional amendment would:

• Require citizenship verification through statewide program,

document submission, or provisional voting.

• Require removing noncitizens after notice and 45-day rebuttal.

• Require showing birth certificate, passport, and/or other

citizenship documents to register.

• Require separately tracking eligibility for federal/state/local

elections.

• Prohibit counting ballots from voters with unverified citizenship

unless documents shown within 6 days post-election.

• Eliminate affidavit alternative for voters without photo-ID.

• Require photo-ID, or driver's license or partial social security

number to vote absentee.• Require state-funded hardship program for obtaining required

documents.

• Subject violators to $1,000 fine and/or up to 5 years

imprisonment.

Should this proposal be adopted?

[ ] yes

[ ] no