Petition circulators, who seek to obtain signatures from Michigan voters for reasons such as getting a candidate on the ballot or submitting a constitutional amendment for a vote in a statewide election, would no longer be able to be paid based on the number of signatures obtained they gather, according to a plan adopted Wednesday evening in the Senate.
Supporters of Senate Bill 1108 say banning a per-signature rate for petition circulators will ensure signatures are more accurately counted when campaigns submit them to the state for certification. The plan would require petition circulators to be paid an hourly rate. Campaigns can still use volunteers to collect signatures.
The legislation is part of a three-bill package that passed on party-line votes in the Senate on Wednesday that would overhaul parts of the way Michigan’s petition process works.
Senate Bill 1109 would require petition circulators to collect signatures for a constitutional amendment, voter-initiated legislation or a referendum campaign to inform the person asked to sign where to find a summary of the proposal. The circulator could also read the summary to them.
Senate Bill 1110 would change state law so if a person who is a valid voter in Michigan signs a petition multiple times, their signature can be counted once. Under current law, if a voter signs a petition multiple times, all signatures become invalid.
Petition scandals have rocked Michigan political campaigns in recent years. In 2022, a handful of Republican gubernatorial candidates failed to qualify for the party’s primaries after the Board of State Canvassers determined they had not submitted enough valid signatures. Last year, former state Rep. Adam Hollier saw his bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Detroit, end after the Board of State Canvassers also found problems with signatures submitted by his campaign.
Sen. Jeremy Moss, a Southfield Democrat who sponsored SB 1108, said the plan would reduce petition collection problems in Michigan and ensure voters know exactly what policies they are endorsing when they sign a petition.
Sen. Ruth Johnson, R-Holly, opposed the bills. Johnson, the former Michigan secretary of state, said SB 1108 punished all petition distributors for the work of “a few bad actors.” She also said SB 1109 could be abused by partisan operatives because it would subject campaigns to fines if a petition circulater failed to comply with summary disclosure requirements.
The bills now go to the Michigan House of Representatives for consideration. They are among the legislative proposals passed during the so-called “lame duck” period between the November elections and the end of the legislature. Democrats are about to lose their trifecta of control in state government as Republicans are set to take control of the House of Representatives early next year.
Contact Arpan Lobo: alobo@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan Senate approves overhaul of petition circulation rules
