The purpose and effect of Michigan’s Proposal 2 are simple: it expands voter rights while maintaining secure elections. Proposal 2 would amend the state constitution to enact critical changes to early voting in elections and the ballot-counting processes. It would allow for nine days of in-person early voting before Election Day, let registered voters request to vote absentee for all future elections, grant voters without a state ID the ability to vote after signing an affidavit attesting to their identity, and clarify current legal requirements for both post-election audits and ballot canvassing.

The proposal makes several steps to improve Michigan’s robust absentee ballot process more accessible to low-income individuals. It would require state-funded postage for absentee ballot applications and nine days of early voting. 

The initiative establishes that state and local officials can only conduct post-election audits seeking to fix problems highlighted over the past two years. 

“No officer or member of the governing body of a national, state, or local political party, and no political party precinct delegate, shall have any role in the direction, supervision, or conduct of an election audit,” according to the proposed amendment. 

This clarification helps establish a clear hierarchy and process for post-election audits and avoid some of the chaos resulting from the 2020 presidential election. 

It also requires canvas boards to certify election results based only on the official records of votes cast. It also authorizes ballot drop boxes for every 15,000 voters in a municipality.

Opponents claim the expansion of absentee ballot access compromises election security, according to Bridge Michigan. The concern is that a person might receive an absentee ballot in the mail for a previous resident who is deceased or moved, for instance. Proposal 2, however, still requires voters to disclose their driver’s license or state ID number and the last four digits of their social security number when requesting an absentee ballot.  Michigan links an individual’s social security number to their voter registration, meaning if a voter moves out of state or dies, the state removes them from the state voter rolls.

The benefit of convenience from allowing indefinite absentee ballots is much greater than any supposed “security risk.” So long as the secretary of state and election authorities follow the law and keep voter rolls up to date, there is no security risk. 

If anything, the new changes could streamline the voting process. State-funded postage will reduce trips to the post office to buy 60-cent stamps for those who do not send mail often.

The initiative also expands the number of secure ballot drop boxes in cities. Ballot boxes must be securely locked and designed to prevent ballot removal unless unlocked while under constant video surveillance in a visible well-lit area, according to Michigan law. This policy ensures that jurisdictions like Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and other large cities can have multiple drop boxes closer to individual voters rather than a single centralized drop box for the entire jurisdiction.