Rep. Harris to lead House select committee reviewing blocked citizen voting initiative
Rep. Harris to lead House select committee reviewing blocked citizen voting initiative
State Rep. Mike Harris was today named chairman of a new state House select committee charged with investigating the review process for the Americans for Citizen Voting petition, which submitted 709,841 signatures but was recently prevented from advancing to the November ballot. The proposed constitutional amendment would require individuals voting in Michigan elections to prove they are U.S. citizens.
“When the people speak, their government should listen. In this case, more than 700,000 people spoke up with concerns about our election system, and their words were shut out by a failing bureaucracy,” said Harris, R-Waterford. “This new select committee will begin our work with the people’s prerogative to uncover the truth about the petition certification process. We will leave no stone unturned and will bring our friends and neighbors who want their voices heard along every step of the process.”
The Michigan House of Representatives voted to create the Select Committee on Thursday, Aug. 26, after the Michigan Board of State Canvassers spent nearly seven hours reviewing petition signatures Monday, Aug. 24, ultimately reaching a stalemate on whether the campaign had met the required threshold of 446,198 valid signatures. The decision centered on a 1,000-signature sample reviewed by election officials. According to the Bureau of Elections, Americans for Citizen Voting fell just short of the number of valid signatures needed within that sample to qualify for certification.
“The State Board of Canvassers made a decision that rejected the concerns of hundreds of thousands of Michiganders; that much cannot be disputed,” Harris said. “As a committee, our job is to understand how the 1,000 signatures are ‘randomly’ selected. Are there potential biases by the people reviewing the signatures? More so, what policy recommendations can we derive from this process? Should the sample of signatures be expanded? What can we do to make this process better so the expectations are clear and understandable for everyone involved?
“When this many people demand change from their government, there needs to be a more transparent and understandable process for vetting that request. So many Michiganders are now stuck feeling disenfranchised and hopeless after they worked their tails off to create change only to see that effort struck down by bureaucracy.”
The controversial rejection comes amid ongoing concerns about non-citizen voting in Michigan elections. Earlier this year, the Secretary of State’s office reported that 15 non-citizens cast ballots in the 2024 presidential election. More recently, Attorney General Dana Nessel announced charges against five non-citizens for election-related crimes tied to the 2024 election cycle.
Harris currently serves in House leadership as the Republican Majority Whip. He announced Wednesday that the select committee is expected to begin its work in the coming weeks.
###
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
