Capitol News

Promote the Vote, a Michigan-based organization opposing a ballot effort to require identification in order to vote, is being funded by out-of-state special interest groups like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) with a $2.5 million gift, campaign finance documents show.

The ballot initiative the group opposes would require Michigan voters to show a photo ID in order to vote. 

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer opposes requiring voters to provide identification when casting their votes and last year vetoed a similar measure that was overwhelmingly passed by the state legislature, a report from The Detroit News said. 

Chris Arps, the president of Americans for Citizen Voting, said people in the state should be cognizant that organizations with ties to national politics are opposing the voting law. 

"We aren't looking at small donations from people who share similar beliefs," Arps told Capital News. "We are looking at questionably large contributions. A majority of Promote the Vote's funding is coming not from Michiganders, but from out-of-state special interest groups."

Promote the Vote received $2,595,411.57 from the ACLU, a report from the Michigan Secretary of State's office said. 

Most Michiganders, 76%, support showing an ID to vote, as opposed to 14% who are against, a recent statewide survey revealed.

The objective of "Protect MI Vote" is to deny the proposed legislation of the Republican-backed "Secure MI Vote," a recent Bridge Michigan report said. Protect MI Vote recently made headlines when they hired a Missouri-based consulting firm to “secretly buy out” circulators in order to mitigate the passing of the proposed voter fraud legislation.

"Protect MI Vote's scheme to pay off circulators not to engage in the Secure MI Vote Initiative petition is deplorable on its face and has no place in Michigan elections," professional signature gatherer Dustin Wefel said in a complaint filed earlier this month, which was first reported by The Detroit News.

Voters currently do not have to show a photo ID to register to vote, the Michigan Secretary of State's office said. A utility bill, paycheck stub, bank statement or government document showing the resident’s name and address can serve as a form of ID.

Secure MI Vote is among more than a dozen petitions trying to get on the November ballot, the Bridge Michigan report said.

Michiganders can learn more about Secure MI Vote and sign up to receive a petition at securemivote.org.