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In a Nutshell
Proposal 2 would amend the Michigan Constitution to include several voting and elections provisions.
If Proposal 2 is adopted, several new voting rights will be enshrined in the Michigan Constitution, many of which are currently included in the Michigan Election Law. Others would be entirely new, such as the early voting provisions. Proposal 2 would clarify existing voting provisions added to the constitution in 2018 by providing definitions for specific terms and laying out processes and procedures related to voting and election administration. Also, Proposal 2 would define and further clarify the roles and responsibilities of the Board of State Canvassers and boards of county canvassers.
If Proposal 2 is rejected, these rights would not be constitutionally protected, but the legislature would continue to exercise its roles and responsibilities for regulating voting and elections through changes in the Michigan Election Law. For example, if lawmakers wanted to provide citizens with access to in-person, early voting, as contemplated in Proposal 2, state law could be amended to implement it.
Major Issues to Consider
Like the 2018 version of Promote the Vote that contained several voting- and elections-related constitutional provisions, Promote the Vote 2022 addresses multiple topics related to voting and elections. Proponents argue that the proposed constitutional changes would make voting more “secure, modern, and accessible.” In considering the issues addressed and the specific changes put forward by advocates, voters face an all-or-nothing proposition with Proposal 2; a “yes” vote will adopt all provisions. Voters do not have the ability to pick and choose from the menu of proposed changes. As was the case with the 2018 version, the primary issue for voters to consider is whether the totality of policy preferences advocated by the proponents of Promote the Vote 2022 should be enshrined in the state constitution. Or, given the fact that the Michigan Constitution provides the legislature with the responsibility to regulate the “time, place and manner” of all elections, should these policy preferences be left to the legislative arena and dealt with through statutory law rather than inclusion in the state constitution.
