Great Lakes Wire

Restoration Action is launching a new video series promoting the institution of voting ID requirements in Michigan.

The group is promoting a ballot initiative that would require voters to have a photo ID in order to cast a vote in Michigan. The videos highlight common activities that require a photo ID in the state, and contrast them to voting, which currently can be done with a signed affidavit and no government-issued photo ID.

“Our videos on the Voter ID ballot initiative are a humorous way to spotlight a very serious issue,” Restoration Action President Doug Truax told Great Lakes Wire. 

Click here to watch the video.

The first video in the series, posted Feb. 15, showcases an underage Michigan resident attempting to purchase alcohol without an ID and being promptly turned away. With this, the group emphasizes the fact that purchasing alcohol is subject to stricter ID requirements than voting in Michigan.

According to the Michigan State Constitution, the legal age to possess or consume an alcoholic beverage is 21 years old.

Vendors of alcohol are required to make a "diligent inquiry" to ensure that someone is 21 years old, the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs states. Diligent inquiry, as defined by the Michigan Liquor Control Code, requires the examination of a Michigan ID card or driver's license, or a military ID card.

"There are more than 20 things that Michiganders must show a photo ID to do," Truax said. "Right now, voting isn’t one of them. And that needs to change." 

According to the Michigan Secretary of State's website, voters are not currently required to present a photo ID to register to vote or during the voting process. A utility bill or bank statement is an acceptable alternative. 

A recent poll conducted by Remington Research Group found that an overwhelming majority of Michigan voters want to increase election security through measures like requiring a photo identification. The survey, commissioned by Americans for Citizen Voting, found more than 75% of participants support requiring voters to show a government-issued photo ID in order to vote.

Support among African-Americans in Michigan was even higher, with 79% supporting the measure.

In late 2021, the Michigan State Legislature passed measures that would have increased identification requirements for both in-person and absentee voting, though Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ultimately vetoed the legislation, the Detroit News reports. 

"To be clear, there is no evidence that use of affidavit ballots is related to voter fraud," Whitmer's letter said as she announced her veto. "In fact, the Michigan Senate Oversight Committee recently concluded that the 2020 election produced no significant evidence of fraud.”

Secure MI Vote is leading the effort to act on the apparent support for new election laws. The organization is a political campaign aimed at changing Michigan's voting laws to make them more secure. It is promoting new legislation, which would require photo IDs at the polls, and a photo ID or Social Security number for an absentee ballot. It also proposes the creation of standard guidelines for absentee ballot collection and drop-off boxes, the prohibition of unsolicited distribution of absentee ballot applications, as well as a ban on private donations to fund election infrastructure.