Michigan Senate Pushes Forward Election Reform Bill to Enhance Petition Transparency

Michigan Senate Passes Bipartisan Election Reform Package to Combat Misinformation

The Michigan Senate approved a comprehensive bipartisan bill package on Wednesday aimed at tackling election disinformation and enhancing transparency in the petition circulation process. The legislation, which passed with support from both parties, represents a significant step toward strengthening the integrity of Michigan’s electoral system.

The package consists of four bills championed by Democratic state senators Jeremy Moss, Jeff Irwin, and Mary Cavanagh. Senate Bills 529-531 and 533 collectively address concerns about deceptive practices in petition circulation and the spread of election misinformation.

“Every election cycle, we hear reports of petition circulators engaging in deceptive practices that erode faith in the process to place candidates and proposals on the ballot,” said Senator Moss, who chairs the Senate Elections and Ethics Committee. “A person should be able to grow support for their cause based on its own merit, not by misrepresenting what the petitions will do.”

The legislation targets several specific issues that have plagued Michigan’s electoral process. SB 529 would prohibit petition organizers from paying circulators per signature, removing a financial incentive that critics say encourages circulators to misrepresent petitions to secure signatures. Michigan would join several other states that have already implemented similar restrictions.

SB 530 would require circulators to direct potential signers to a factual summary of a ballot proposal’s contents before collecting signatures, ensuring voters are properly informed before supporting initiatives. Meanwhile, SB 531 addresses the issue of duplicate signatures by ensuring that if identical signatures appear on a single petition, one would still be counted rather than both being invalidated.

Senator Irwin, who sponsored SB 531, explained the rationale behind this particular reform: “When citizens participate in direct democracy through the petition process, they should be able to know that their valid signature will not be thrown out. Michigan has a lively democracy that produces a lot of initiative petitions, and it can be hard for even the most informed voter to keep track of whether they have already signed a particular version.”

The fourth bill in the package, SB 533, which was previously approved by the Senate, would establish penalties for intentionally making false statements or misrepresenting election information. Senator Cavanagh, who sponsored this component, drew on her personal experience as an election worker to highlight its importance.

“In recent years, we have witnessed targeted disinformation campaigns within some of the most underserved communities in our state, like posting signs telling folks that polling places are closed or disingenuous robocalls with false election information aimed at restricting Michiganders’ right to vote,” Cavanagh said.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson voiced strong support for the legislation, emphasizing that petitions should reflect genuine public will rather than be manipulated for financial or political gain. “These bills will ban financial incentives to generate fraudulent signatures on petitions and require that circulators provide a factual summary of the proposal’s contents,” Benson said. “Michigan voters deserve to know the truth about what they’re being asked to sign.”

Attorney General Dana Nessel also endorsed the reforms, calling them vital for maintaining public confidence in Michigan’s electoral system. “The improvements outlined in this package will help encourage civic engagement statewide, while closing a loophole in our current statute which we have seen bad actors misuse for their fraudulent aims,” Nessel stated.

The legislation now moves to the Michigan House of Representatives for further consideration. If enacted, these reforms would represent a significant update to Michigan’s election laws ahead of future election cycles, potentially setting a precedent for other states grappling with similar challenges to electoral integrity.

The package comes amid national concerns about election misinformation and growing efforts across multiple states to strengthen safeguards around electoral processes and petition systems.