LANSING, Mich. — 11 Republican lawmakers filed a lawsuit against Michigan election officials in an effort to make two election-related proposals in the state null and void.
The legislators claim the process of how Proposal 3 of 2018 and Proposal 2 of 2022 became laws violated both the state and federal constitutions.
The suit points to the Elections Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which requires the state legislature to regulate the time, place and manner of federal elections.
Complaint 9-28-23 (Filed) by WXMI on Scribd
Both proposals came from ballot initiatives and fundamentally changed how elections run in Michigan.
However, both proposals passed without involvement from the state legislature.
The 11 lawmakers who filed the suit argue that bypassing this step invalidates the proposals.
“While the core of this lawsuit is indeed a simple constitutional matter, it is even more important as our goal is to restore integrity to the voting process,” Michigan Senator Jonathan Lindsey explained.
Proposal 3 enacted things like protecting the right to a secret ballot, ensuring ballot access for military and overseas voters, adding straight ticket voting and automatically registering voters if they have proof of residency.
Proposal 2 created nine days of early voting, expanded the number of ballot drop boxes, created a system for ballot tracking and expanded voter ID laws.
The plaintiffs say they hope they have a decision in time to impact state processes for the 2024 election.
