LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – A ballot proposal that aimed to amend the state constitution to require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote will not appear on November’s ballot unless supporters prevail in court.

That’s because the Michigan Board of State Canvassers deadlocked 2-2 on whether to certify the proposal. The Citizen Only Voting Initiative submitted 709,841 signatures in March, surpassing the 446,198 valid signatures required to qualify for the November ballot.

The Bureau of Elections initially found 612 valid signatures in a random sample of 1,000. At least 629 valid signatures were needed for the petition to qualify. After the Board of State Canvassers reviewed disputed signatures Monday, 626 were deemed valid — three short of the threshold.

The only way the proposal will appear on the ballot now is if organizers successfully challenge the decision in court.

In addition to requiring proof of citizenship, the initiative would have required regular reviews of voter rolls and photo identification for voters.

James, Benson, and voter ID

GOP gubernatorial candidate John James slammed the outcome and placed the blame at the feet of Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who is also running for governor.

“Jocelyn Benson is against voter ID,” James said in a statement. “The Benson-El-Sayed ticket even supports driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants. And after all of this, Benson is running for Governor while still overseeing our elections,” James said, also referring to Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.

James added that if elected governor, he would work to ensure noncitizens do not vote in Michigan elections.

“Serious questions” raised

If James wins, he could have an ally in GOP Secretary of State candidate Anthony Forlini. The Macomb County clerk has raised concerns about noncitizens appearing on voter rolls and in jury pools. He said the failure of the ballot initiative raises “serious questions.”

“Are we following the evidence, or are political interests driving the decision? People deserve better from those entrusted with public responsibility,” Forlini said. “The law should be applied consistently, evidence should be considered honestly, and politics should never outweigh sworn testimony.”

Patrice Johnson, chair and founder of the Michigan Fair Elections Institute, criticized what she characterized as delays by the Michigan Department of State.

“When a ballot petition is turned in 244 days in advance and has 80% public support yet is the last one for the Michigan Department of State to review, when that ballot petition turns in 60% more signatures than the required number, when the sampling process has a substandard confidence level and is completely opaque, when citizens’ sworn affidavits are ruled out, and when two board of state canvassers have no respect for the rule of law or applying the same parameters they applied to a ballot measure a few weeks prior . . . the word disappointing hardly covers how I and other Michiganders feel.”