LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The Michigan Association of County Clerks released a rare opinion on a ballot proposal earlier this week.
The association voted unanimously on Tuesday to oppose a ranked-choice voting ballot initiative during a meeting on Tuesday, citing concerns with voter confusion, delays about releasing results, and the complexity of recount votes.
What is Ranked-choice voting?
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The ballot initiative, which is currently being pushed by the organization Rank MI Vote, would change the state constitution to allow voters to rank their choices for a political office, rather than just choose one. Rank MI Vote needs to collect 446,198 signatures to qualify for the November 2026 ballot.
During a virtual meeting, Michigan’s county clerks met to share statements about the initiative.
According to Kent County Clerk Lisa Posthumus Lyons, the constitutional amendment would create undue challenges with voting and election integrity.
“Michigan voters are used to knowing who won an election in a timely manner, so it’s incredibly important that we’re able to report accurate, unofficial results on election night,” said Posthumus Lyons in a statement released by the association. “Determining a winner will take drastically longer under ranked-choice voting. Delayed results erode the public’s trust by fueling uncertainty and misinformation.”
“Inconsistency and voter confusion.”
According to a release, the bipartisan organization said they rarely comment on ballot issues but felt compelled to urge voters to reject the initiative.
“Michigan voters already face some of the longest and most complex ballots in the nation, covering federal, state, county, city, township, school, and special district contests on a single ballot,” said the statement. “The RankMIVote proposal would further complicate ballots by requiring voters to numerically rank candidates in certain contests while others remain unchanged, adding inconsistency, voter confusion, and voter fatigue.”
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The resolution passed by the association cites a Glengariff Group survey conducted in June which found that 65% of Michigan voters surveyed opposed rank-choice voting.
If passed, the resolution would allow voters to use ranked choice voting for offices such as the President, U.S congressional representatives, state Governor, and other state offices. Advocates need to collect 446,198 Michigan signatures to qualify for the November 2026 ballot.
Where is ranked-choice voting in Michigan?
Five Michigan cities have already adopted ranked-choice voting measures: Ann Arbor, Ferndale, East Lansing, Kalamazoo and Royal Oak. However, the state constitution prevents the local government from implementing the measures.
If enacted, Michigan would be the fourth state in the country to allow ranked-choice voting statewide. Other states include Maine, Alaska, and Hawaii.