• Multiple petition drives underway in Michigan for potential 2026 ballot proposals
• Petitions include plans to implement ranked choice voting, tax on the wealthy to fund schools and end a lower minimum wage for tipped restaurant workers
• Advocates will need to collect hundreds of thousands of signatures in a 180-day period to make the ballot

LANSING — If you're heading out to a festival, concert, farmers market or other public event this summer in Michigan, there’s a good chance you’ll be greeted by petition circulators seeking your signature.

At least six petition drives are underway or could be soon by groups seeking a spot on Michigan’s 2026 ballot for proposals to change laws or the state Constitution. 

That includes petitions approved for circulation Friday by the Board of State Canvassers to allow ranked choice voting, tax high income earners to fund schools and revert recent changes to Michigan’s minimum and tipped wage laws.

The board was not focused on the content of the ballot proposals themselves. Canvassers only review the 100-word summaries of the proposals voters see when they sign the petitions to get the proposals on the ballot, and they make sure the petitions are properly formatted.

Proposal organizers don’t write the summaries themselves, the state’s Bureau of Elections does, so supporters and critics convened to tweak and tussle over the final version that will appear on petitions. 

Regardless of the summary they approved, you'd be wise to read any petition that's put in front of you, as Michigan law does not require circulators to provide an accurate verbal description of the petitions they're asking you to sign. 

But if you don't have the time to read the fine print, here is a brief guide to the various petition drives coming to a sidewalk near you: 

Rank MI Vote

Supporters want to fundamentally change how Michiganders choose many of their elected officials with ranked choice voting – or instant runoff elections — which have voters cast ballots ranking candidates in order of preference. Initially only voters’ top choice is counted, but if no candidate has an immediate majority, the candidate with the least votes is eliminated. All the voters who chose the eliminated candidate then have their second-place votes distributed to the remaining contestants. The process repeats until one candidate has more than 50% of the vote.

“This is a massive change in voting,” Richard Houskamp, who chairs the State Board of Canvassers, said Friday.

What to know:

• Ranked choice voting would be used in Michigan’s congressional and presidential primary and general elections, the primary for governor and the general elections for governor, secretary of state and attorney general. The Michigan Legislature would be excluded and local offices could opt in.
• Michigan would join Maine as the only other US state to use ranked choice voting for both primary and general elections for federal offices.
• The change would require the state and local officials to effectively overhaul how they administer elections. 
• The proposal would amend the Michigan Constitution, which means organizers need to collect 446,198 signatures in a 180-day window to make the 2026 general election ballot.
• Read the petition as initially submitted to the state.

What supporters say: Pat Zibawa, a spokesperson for the Rank MI Vote, says ranked choice voting will reduce polarization, prevent spoiler candidates and lead to the election of candidates who better represent their constituents. The group hopes to begin collecting signatures in the next “weeks to months” but doesn’t have an exact timeline for when they’ll begin, he said. 

What opponents say: Critics of the proposal argue ranked choice voting would confuse voters, delay when election results come out and lead to less representative candidates. They are also concerned about the difficulty election officials might have in implementing the changes.

Invest in MI Kids

Citing struggling schools statewide, organizers of the Invest in My Kids initiative want to boost funding by  raising taxes on individuals making more than $500,000 a year or couples making more than $1 million. 

What to know:

• The proposal would impose an additional 5% tax on any income that exceeds those $500,000 or $1 million thresholds.
• Michigan currently has a 4.25% flat tax on all income. That’s written into the state constitution, so the proposal would require an amendment. 
• Money generated by the tax would have to go to local public school districts.
• The proposed constitutional amendment would need 446,198 signatures within 180 days to make the 2026 general election ballot. 
• Read the petition as initially submitted to the state.

What supporters say: Jessica Newman, an organizer with Invest In MI Kids, said the increased funding would lower class sizes, help recruit and retain teachers with better pay and improve learning environments with facility upgrades. “When we invest in our kids, we invest in our education, we are investing in the future,” she said.

What opponents say: Critics like the Michigan Chamber of Commerce say the “fair share surcharge” term adopted by the group is a misleading term used to mask a tax increase, which’d hurt business and economic investment in Michigan. Opponents also argue the tax would unfairly benefit public school districts and not charter or private schools, and that Michigan’s poor academic performance isn’t tied to a dearth of funding.

Voters to Stop Pay Cuts

Advocates who have long sought to increase the state’s minimum wage and eliminate a lower tipped wage for restaurant workers want to undo the Michigan Legislature’s recent changes to court-ordered rules. It’s the latest front in a fight that began in 2018 with a petition drive that lawmakers adopted and quickly amended to keep the measure off that year’s ballot. 

What to know:

• Under current law, as revised by the Legislature in February, the state’s $12.48 minimum wage will hit $15 by 2027 and increase with inflation. The repeal proposal would actually increase the rate more slowly, raising it to $14.97 by 2028 and then rising with inflation.
• The biggest impact of the proposal would be eliminating the state’s lower minimum wage for tipped workers, like those at restaurants. Under current law, the $4.74 rate will rise to 50% of the minimum wage by 2031. Under the proposal, the tipped wage would become 100% of the minimum wage by 2030 and rise alongside it.
• The proposed change in state statute would need 356,958 signatures from supporters within 180 days to make the 2026 general election ballot.
• If supporters collect enough signatures, the referendum would appear on November 2026 ballot but immediately freeze the implementation of the law they hope to repeal, at least until the election. 
• Read the petition as initially submitted to the state.

What supporters say: One Fair Wage wants to repeal the law so that wages better reflect the original legislative petition, which received enough signatures to go before the legislature in 2018, and have decried lawmakers’ repeated effort to intervene and water down the policies. 

What opponents say: Opponents of the repeal argue the increase in tipped wage will “decimate” the restaurant industry, and are quick to point out the law sped up the minimum wage increases relative to the court ruling. Repealing the law would set the wage back. They also argue customers would stop tipping, effectively lowering their wages, though this point has been hotly debated.

AxMITax

The AxMITax proposal  seeks to eliminate all property taxes in Michigan and make it harder to raise any other taxes in the future. Organizers failed to make the ballot in 2024. But the group has begun circulating petitions again without canvasser approval, which means it could be vulnerable to canvasser scrutiny or court challenges should organizers collect enough signatures to make the ballot. 

What to know:

• The proposal seeks to end Michigan property taxes, which are a significant source of revenue for schools and local governments. The petition would direct the state to send more sales tax revenue to local governments, along with more money from marijuana, alcohol and tobacco taxes.
• Any future tax increase at the local level would require approval of 60% of voters, while any state tax increases would require two-thirds support in the Michigan Legislature.
• Michigan gained $20.4 billion from property taxes statewide in 2024, according to data from the Urban Institute. In 2022 it represented 27% of local governments’ overall revenue in Michigan. 
• The proposed constitutional amendment would need 446,198 signatures within 180 days to make the 2026 general election ballot. 
• Read the petition as initially submitted to the state.

What supporters say: The group argues property taxes are unfair to Michiganders who already pay taxes on income. They argue the state should tax consumption instead of property and contend that any funding shortfalls would be avoided by reallocating state resources toward local governments. 

What opponents say: Critics say the proposed change is sweeping, unrealistic and would lead to an immediate fiscal crisis, essentially forcing a drastic shrinking in the size of state and local governments. They say supporters have not proven that their proposed reallocation would protect funding for essential government services that would be put at risk. 

Committee to Protect Voters Rights 

The state Board of Canvassers in April approved the first of two separate petition drives that aim to require proof of citizenship to register to vote and tighten voter ID rules. 

What to know:

• The proposal would require individuals to verify US citizenship during the voter registration process. 
• It’s already illegal for noncitizens to vote but the state suspects at least 15 noncitizens managed to cast ballots in 2024.
• The proposal would also require voters to present photo ID for in-person voting, eliminating a current option that allows voters without ID to sign an affidavit of identity under penalty of perjury.
• Lower-income citizens could apply for a free ID by claiming a hardship under a process the state Legislature would establish. 
• The proposed constitutional amendment would need 446,198 signatures within 180 days to make the 2026 general election ballot. 
• Read the petition as initially submitted to the state

What supporters say: Proponents say the proposal would close loopholes in Michigan law that could create openings for noncitizens to cast ballots and dilute the voting power of citizens.

What opponents say: Election officials and voting rights groups across Michigan argue the proposal could disenfranchise voters by making the process more difficult, including women who changed their name upon marriage. Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie has likened the requirements to a poll tax.

Americans for Citizen Voting 

The state Board of Canvassers in May approved the summary of a second and separate petition that also aims to require proof of citizenship to register to vote and tighten voter ID rules. 

What to know:

• The proposal would require the Secretary of State to verify citizenship of all registered voters, document citizenship and remove any noncitizens from the voter rolls.
• Proposal would eliminate an affidavit option that allows voters without an ID to cast a ballot on Election Day.
• Would create a hardship program to provide free IDs to citizens who cannot afford them 
• Would establish new penalties and could force Michigan to maintain two separate voter lists: One for voters who have proven their citizenship, and one for those who haven’t and could only vote only in federal races.
• The proposed constitutional amendment would need 446,198 signatures within 180 days to make the 2026 general election ballot. 
• Read the petition as initially submitted to the state.

What supporters say: While it is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in Michigan, organizers say the new proposal would provide "clarity" in state law to ensure noncitizens cannot cast ballots that "disenfranchise" citizens. 

What opponents say:  Opponents say the proposal is unnecessary and would go beyond just ensuring only citizens can vote. Canvassers on both sides of the aisle questioned the voter list and penalty provisions, with one GOP member suggesting it could allow for “weaponizing” against other voters.