Will Voter ID & Proof of Citizenship Be on Michigan's Ballot in 2026?

Michigan’s House Committee on Election Integrity has advanced a bill that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and a valid photo ID to cast a ballot. House Joint Resolution B (HJR-B), introduced by Rep. Bryan Posthumus (R-Rockford), now moves to the House floor. If it receives a two-thirds vote in each legislative chamber, it will advance to the ballot, where citizens will get the chance to enshrine it into their state’s constitution on the November 2026 ballot.

HJR-B would require first-time voters to provide proof of citizenship when registering, in-person voters to provide a photo ID, and absentee voters to submit a copy of their photo ID or an identification number. If in-person voters lack a photo ID at the polls, they would be allowed to cast a provisional ballot that would count if they provide a photo ID within 6 days. 

The proposed law would also require a process for the secretary of state to review the citizenship of voters on the state’s voter file and give potential non-citizens a timeframe to produce proof of citizenship or be removed from the rolls.

The proposal comes after a Chinese citizen illegally voted in Michigan in the 2024 general election. Michigan has same-day registration, and the Chinese citizen used his student I.D. to register and promptly cast a ballot. Although he was later caught, his vote counted.

According to Gallup, 79% of Americans support requiring a photo ID to vote, including a majority of Democrats.

Despite most voters in her party supporting these measures, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) has already vetoed a similar legislative proposal and would oppose any further attempts at election integrity. As in many states with Democrat governors, Republicans legislators in Michigan are hoping to take voter ID straight to the voters.

Last December, Posthumus said he hopes to "work on this in a bipartisan manner" to get it on the ballot, but added, "if we can't do it legislatively, you know, we'll do it through a citizen-led issue initiative."

If Republicans can’t win a two-thirds majority in the legislature, they can take the proposal directly to voters by gathering 10 percent the number of signatures as votes in the previous gubernatorial election. To place it on the 2026 ballot, they would need 446,198 signatures.

HJR-B is similar to the congressional Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, introduced by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX-21), which would ensure only American citizens vote in American elections. The House Rules Committee passed the SAVE Act, on March 31, and it will likely pass the House later this week. 

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson called a special press conference specifically to argue against the SAVE Act, repeating baseless claims that the bill would disenfranchise married women who take their husband's name, because the name on their birth certificate differs from the name on their photo ID. 

State Rep. Mai Xiong (D-Warren) even called it "a pink poll tax."

Rep. Ann Bollin (R-Brighton Township), who co-sponsored the legislation, pushed back on this notion, stating, "I do not understand why we hear the Secretary of State or outside organizations insulting married women across this nation for taking on their husband’s name—80% of us do it, willingly. When one does this, they must show proof through applicable documents. It is not burdensome—it is merely a formality."

She added, "HJR-B is not cumbersome and does not call for any extraordinary effort on behalf of a voter to register or request a ballot."

Requiring proof of citizenship to register and requiring a photo ID to vote are not controversial positions, and large majorities of bipartisan Americans of all backgrounds support both. Michigan Democrats in the legislature should set aside the stringent dogma of their party leaders and follow the will of the people on this measure. Adopting these measures would not suppress voter eligibility or turnout for legally eligible voters, and would likely bolster turnout, because of the confidence it would give voters in Michigan’s election security.

(READ MORE: There Are No Sound Arguments Against Requiring Photo ID to Vote)