Committee Moves Voting Reforms

Mar 14, 2025

by Liz Gullett

As MLC’s Communications and Social Media Manager, Liz Gullett keeps clients informed and up-to-date on the goings on in Lansing and the Capitol.

On a party-line vote, the House Elections Integrity Committee reported a proposal that would require a resident to show proof of citizenship when registering to vote, among other changes.

Key Points:

    • HJR B was introduced by Representative Bryan Posthumus (R-Rockford).
    • The proposal amends the Michigan Constitution and, thus, requires a vote by residents during the general election.
    • For this to be placed on the general election ballot, it must pass both the House and Senate by a two-thirds vote instead of the typical majority.
    • The requirements within the amendment would apply to anyone registering to vote after December 18, 2026.
    • Photo identification would be required to vote in person. Those who forget their ID would cast a provisional ballot, which wouldn’t be tabulated unless they provide a photo ID within six days.
    • Under the proposal, the legislature would define how citizenship can be proved.
    • Those who vote via absentee ballot would verify their identity by providing a copy of their ID, a driver’s license number, a state personal identification number, or the last four digits of their social security number.
    • On an ongoing basis, the state would be required to verify that everyone who appears in the statewide qualified voter file is a U.S. citizen.

Next Steps:

    • House Joint Resolution B was sent to the House floor for consideration.
    • Governor Whitmer will not need to sign the measure for it to be placed before Michigan voters.

Michigan Legislative Consultants is a bipartisan lobbying firm based in Lansing, Michigan. Our team of lobbyists and procurement specialists provide a wide range of services for some of the most respected companies in America. For more on MLC, visit www.mlcmi.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Recent Posts

Five Things We’re Reading

Five Things We’re Reading

Below are some articles the MLC lobby team has been reading this past week. We hope you find them as interesting and useful as we do. Key Facts About the U.S. National Debt – Who are the biggest shareholders of the debt? Just how much does the country spend on...

House Passes Remaining Budgets

House Passes Remaining Budgets

On Tuesday, the Michigan House of Representatives passed a $56.6 billion omnibus budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins on October 1. Along with the $21.9 billion School Aid budget (passed in June), the House is proposing a total 2026 Fiscal Year budget of...

Next State Superintendent Selected

Next State Superintendent Selected

The State Board of Education voted to offer the position of state superintendent to Dr. Glenn Maleyko. The current superintendent, Dr. Rice, announced in April that he was retiring effective October 3.  Dr. Pamela Pugh, the Board president, will negotiate a contract...

Looking for older articles?

We’ve recently made improvements to our blog to provide a better user experience. If you’re searching for older posts, click here to search our archive.

Michigan Legislative Consultants

Michigan Legislative Consultants
110 W. Michigan Avenue
Suite 500
Lansing, MI 48933
517.372.2560
517.372.0130 fax

1001 Woodward Avenue
Suite 500
Detroit, MI 48226

MLC is proud to be the Michigan member of NASL