Capitol News

A new video series is launching with the aim of highlighting the current lack of voter identification needed to vote in Michigan.

The series is sponsored by Restoration Action, a group helping to advance a ballot initiative in Michigan that would require a photo identification in order to cast a vote.

The videos highlight activities in Michigan that require a photo ID, then contrast that with voting, which currently can be done with only a signed affidavit and no government-issued photo ID.    

Doug Truax is a former U.S. Senate candidate and the founder of Restoration Action, a nonpartisan political action committee that sponsors political activities advocating for policy changes and/or the election or defeat of candidates on the basis of conservative  principles.  

The latest video was released on March 9, making the point that in the state of Michigan, you need a photo ID to adopt a pet but not to legally cast a ballot.

“Our videos on the Voter ID ballot initiative are a humorous way to spotlight a very serious issue," Truax told Capitol News. "There are more than 20 things that Michiganders must show a photo ID to do. Right now, voting isn’t one of  them. And that needs to change.”

A recent poll conducted by Remington Research Group found that an overwhelming majority of Michigan voters want to increase election security through measures like requiring an ID to vote, according to Americans for Citizen Voting. More than 75% of voters surveyed support “requiring voters to show a government-issued photo  ID in order to vote." That number includes 79% of African-American Michigan residents who who were involved in the survey.

In late 2021, the Michigan State Legislature overwhelmingly passed measures that would have increased identification requirements for both in-person and absentee voting, The Detroit News reported. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) vetoed the legislation.

"To be clear, there is no evidence that use of affidavit ballots is related to voter fraud," Whitmer said, according to The Detroit News. "In fact, the Michigan Senate Oversight Committee recently concluded that the 2020 election produced no significant evidence of  fraud."

One group is seeking to act on the apparent support for new election laws is Secure MI Vote. The organization is a political campaign aimed at changing Michigan's voting laws to make them more "secure." They are promoting new legislation, which would require photo IDs at the polls, an ID or Social Security number for an absentee ballot, create standard guidelines for absentee ballot collection and drop-off boxes, prohibit the unsolicited distribution of absentee ballot applications and ban private donations to fund election infrastructure.    

Sign the Secure MI Vote's petition.