A Republican-led state House committee opened hearings Tuesday on a proposed amendment to the Michigan Constitution that would require people to show proof of citizenship to register to vote. The measure would also require people to show a government-issued ID before they can cast a ballot.
The hearing before the House Election Integrity Committee turned into a showdown between Republicans and conservative groups who argue it is too easy for non-citizens or ineligible people to get a ballot against Democrats and the campaign that successfully added two voting rights amendments to the Michigan Constitution.
“We can ensure that only U.S. citizens are voting in our elections without creating a situation where we are overburdening anybody,” said Rep. Bryan Posthumus (R-Cannon Twp.) “The right to vote belongs in the Constitution. That’s there. The requirement that only citizens should vote in our elections should be there. That’s what I’m trying to put in there.”
Michigan election law already requires voters to be U.S. citizens. Michigan also allows voters who do not bring a government-issued I.D. to the polls to sign an affidavit of identity. Their names are also checked against the state’s list of registered voters.
Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie, who helps manage Michigan elections, said the proposal is not a serious effort to ensure election integrity.
“Trust in our elections is extremely important and I think that’s something we all agree on,” he said. "But doing this in a way that masquerades as a reasonable election security bill is not a solution.”
Edevbie is a top aide to Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and he is seeking the Democratic nomination to succeed her in 2027.
A representative of Promote the Vote said Posthumus’s proposed amendment would undermine the 2018 and 2022 voting rights amendments.
“These laws do not prevent widespread fraud,” said Promote The Vote Policy Counsel Melanie Macey. “They create widespread disenfranchisement by preventing eligible Americans from casting their ballots.”
Amendments to the Michigan Constitution must be approved by voters. A proposed amendment can be placed on the ballot via super-majority votes of the House and Senate or via a petition campaign.
With Democrats in control of the Senate and the Republicans' 58-52 margin in the House, winning legislative super-majorities to amend the Constitution is a near-impossibility.
Posthumus is also preparing a ballot operation to get a question on the 2026 general election ballot.
