Supreme Court Justice Orders Michigan Response on Voter ID Amendment
Justice Brett Kavanaugh has instructed officials in Michigan to respond by noon on Wednesday to an emergency request related to a voter identification amendment that seeks to be included on the state’s ballot in November.
This request has been made by Americans for Citizen Voting, which requires a reply from key figures such as Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and the Board of State Canvassers, among others.
The order itself, however, doesn’t clarify how Kavanaugh or the Supreme Court might ultimately decide. Instead, it allows these officials a chance to present their case before the justices contemplate granting any immediate relief.
On Monday, Americans for Citizen Voting took their case to the Supreme Court following the rejection of its proposed constitutional amendment by Michigan election officials. The amendment in question would mandate that voters demonstrate proof of U.S. citizenship.
The organization claims to have gathered over 700,000 signatures in support of the measure, which surpasses the state requirement of at least 446,198 valid signatures necessary for a constitutional amendment to appear on the ballot.
However, upon reviewing a random sample of 1,000 signatures, the Board of State Canvassers found only 626 to be valid, which was insufficient to qualify the petition. Meanwhile, a separate examination conducted by the Michigan Bureau of Elections accepted just 612 signatures from that same sample.
In its argument, Americans for Citizen Voting contends that not allowing the amendment on the ballot would permanently strip Michigan voters of the chance to decide on the matter this November.
They stated, “If respondents’ decision to keep ACVM’s petition off the ballot stands, then Michigan voters will never have a chance to vote on the petition, regardless of whether it should or should not have been placed on the ballot.”
Initially, the organization sought to have the Michigan Supreme Court reverse the canvassing board’s ruling but eventually turned to the U.S. Supreme Court when the state court did not take immediate action.
They criticized the canvassing board for its delay of over five months in rejecting the petition, which limits the available time to settle the issue before ballots are finalized.
Americans for Citizen Voting is urging the Supreme Court to make a decision by September 3, just a day before Michigan’s deadline for finalizing the November ballot.
Reactions on social media have generally been supportive of Kavanaugh’s directive, with many viewing it as a positive step, alleging that Michigan Democrats are attempting to prevent the amendment from reaching the ballot.
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