LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – There is growing pressure in Michigan to have a voter ID law in place for elections for Michigan.
“The public has lost confidence.”
Americans For Citizen Voting held a press conference on Wednesday in Lansing to announce it has turned in signatures to put voter ID on the ballot. The organization turned in 750,000 signatures and said just 446,198 signatures were required to get it on the November ballot.
“I don’t care if there is five illegals voting or 50,000,” Americans For Citizen Voting’s Kurt O’Keefe said at the press conference. “The point is, too much of the public has lost confidence in the integrity of our elections.”
The House Election Integrity Committee held a hearing this week on House Bill 4765, which would require a photo ID to register to vote.
“Michigan families are tired of wondering if their vote will still count,” State Rep. Jason Woolford (R-Howell) stated in testimony before the committee. “We’ve seen documented instances nonstop where noncitizens ended up on the voter file. … It’s important that we remember that every improper ballot cancels out the lawful vote of a lawful Michigan citizen.”
The Secretary of State’s office opposes the bill.
“The vast majority of Michigan voters use the ID that they carry with them every day – a driver’s license or state ID – when they register to vote. Under this bill, that would no longer be enough; Michiganders would need more than a standard REAL ID when they register,” Michigan Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie said in a press release.
“At least five million of Michigan’s registered voters don’t have an enhanced REAL ID. Under this bill, Michiganders would be on the hook for about $150 million in additional government fees to upgrade their IDs just to continue what they are able to do right now – use their driver’s license to register and to vote. No eligible citizen should have to pay extra fees to exercise their constitutional voting rights. Michiganders deserve to have the facts. This bill is not about voter ID; it’s a way to stop tens of thousands of eligible Michigan voters from casting their ballot,” Edevbie said.
A records discrepancy.
In January, Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini reported his office found 14 non-citizens registered to vote at some point.
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“Currently, someone who applies for a driver’s license automatically is registered to vote unless they choose to decline,” the Macomb County Clerk’s Office stated in a press release. “If someone is presented with a voter registration form, there is a checkbox for citizenship. If the checkbox is checked ‘yes’ for ‘I am a United States citizen,’ the form is processed even if the applicant is not a U.S. citizen or doesn’t understand the question. Unlike some states, Michigan does not currently use a federal citizenship database or systematic federal verification to confirm the status at the time of registration.”
In April 2025, the Michigan Secretary of State’s office said it found 15 individuals who are not U.S. citizens but voted in the presidential election last November in Michigan.
