Michigan Voters Bill of Rights Complete Language

1. Election laws and regulations shall be identical for all parties and those without party affiliation. Legal distinctions between “major” and “minor” parties shall be eliminated.

2.The requirement to qualify a political party for statewide ballot access shall not exceed 5,000 valid petition signatures of registered voters gathered within 180 days.

3.Public funding of primaries shall be eliminated. Each party has the responsibility and shall bear the cost of selecting its own candidates.

4.No candidate shall be prohibited from participating in any public debate. All candidates who will appear on the ballot shall be invited to participate in any debate to which the public is invited or which will be transmitted over broadcast media.

5.Instant Runoff Voting shall be instituted statewide, allowing for ranking of candidates by preference. If no candidate receives 50% of the vote total, the candidates with the fewest votes are until one candidate achieves a majority.

6.Rotating ballot position shall be instituted statewide to insure equal access to the top of the ticket position.

7.The ability to vote without producing a picture ID shall not be denied, unless such ID is a voter registration ID card provided at no cost to the voter for that specific purpose only.

8.Same-day voter registration shall be available in every precinct.

9.Absentee voting by choice shall be instituted statewide.

10.Voting machines with verifiable hard-copy ballots shall be required.

11.Candidates qualified as independents have the right to list their party affiliation on the ballot.

12.Congressional districts shall be drawn along county lines, other than counties which include more than one district, in which case they shall be along natural Village, Township, or City lines. A nonpartisan commission appointed by, and under the supervision of, the judiciary shall determine the boundaries according to population figures without regard to any perceived party preference of voters.

13.Delegates for a Michigan Constitutional Convention shall be selected in a nonpartisan election.

14.The enumeration of these rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people to ensure fair, equal, open and honest elections.