Michigan Voters to Decide 3 Ballot Questions on November 6th

When a petition drive qualifies to become a ballot question submitted for voter approval, Michigan law requires the state Elections Bureau to draft an impartial 100 word summary of each question. The official ballot language for each ballot question is printed below, exactly as it will appear on your paper ballot. Many voters forget to vote on ballot questions because they are located all the way at the bottom of the ballot, or on the reverse side. Be sure to vote on these important questions.

When considering your vote, keep in mind that these ballots questions are far more detailed than the ballot summaries reflect in 100 words, and that reasonable minds can disagree on what constitutes an impartial ballot summary. Please refer to the actual language of each proposal for a complete understanding of the ballot questions, because the devil is often in the details. The full language of each proposal can be found at the links below, along with extensive research and pro/con summaries from www.Ballotpedia.org the non-partisan think tank dedicated to providing voting education on ballot questions.

Consider also the financial backers, both for and against, of these ballot questions. Marijuana legalization had enough funding for its petition drive, but relies primarily on grass-roots citizen activists for voter education. The proposal contains a relatively low tax of 10% plus 6% sales tax, and does not create a monopoly for Big Business, and does not have the institutional funding that other proposals enjoy.  The no vote group consists of SAM, a DC think tank that supports prohibition all over America, Michigan state and local police agencies and establishment government officials. Proposals 2 and 3, which both propose constitutional amendments, generally shunned by voters, are both generally recognized to be partisan Democratic party attempts to gain political advantage for Democratic party candidates in future elections and, consequently, are strongly opposed by the GOP.

A recent Detroit Free Press poll suggested the following:

• 43% are Democrats, 37% are Republicans and 20% are independents.

• Prop 1 marijuana proposal is winning by a healthy 56% to 38% margin, with 6% undecided. This polling is consistent with other polls over the past few years, so the measure is expected to pass, so long as supporters and young voters turn out in record numbers, as anticipated. Only 37% of voters over the age of 65 will vote yes, but 79% percent of 18 to 29-year-olds and 72% percent for 30 to 39-year-old voters will vote yes on proposal 1. Spokesman for Yes campaign said, in response, “We’ve been saying all along that this is an issue that’s time has come. People understand that prohibition has been a failure and continued enforcement is a waste of law enforcement resources and our tax dollars.”

Prop 2 redistricting proposal does not have 50% support, but the yes votes are ahead of the no votes by 38% to 31%, with 31% still undecided. A spokesman explained that the proposal is confusing “The real challenge is most voters don’t have any clue what it’s about … There’s a third of voters who just have no clue what this is.”  GOP opponents claim the measure is the cure worse than the disease. The process of selecting a 13-person redistricting commission made up of unelected and unaccountable people may be subject to manipulation by a partisan Secretary of State, especially if hyper-partisan Jocelyn Benson (D) beats the more moderate Mary Treder Lang (R).  The process will be very expensive (each member gets a salary equal to 25% of the governor’s salary), and citizen oversight of the process is likely to be a rubber stamp for professional statisticians who could be partisan and would definitely overwhelm the members of the armature commission.

Proposal 18-1:  Statutory Initiative Ballot Question - Legalization, regulation, and taxation of marijuana for adults in Michigan.

A PROPOSED INITIATED LAW TO AUTHORIZE POSSESSION, USE AND CULTIVATION OF MARIJUANA PRODUCTS BY INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE AT LEAST 21 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER, AND COMMERCIAL SALES OF MARIJUANA THROUGH STATE-LICENSED RETAILERS

This proposal would:

• Allow individuals age 21 and older to purchase, possess and use marijuana and marijuana-infused edibles, and grow up to 12 marijuana plants for personal consumption.
• Impose a 10-ounce limit for marijuana kept at residences and require that amounts over 2.5 ounces be secured in locked containers.
• Create a state licensing system for marijuana businesses including growers, processors, transporters, and retailers.
• Allow municipalities to ban or restrict marijuana businesses.
• Permit commercial sales of marijuana and marijuana-infused edibles through state-licensed retailers, subject to a new 10% tax earmarked for schools, roads, and municipalities where marijuana businesses are located.

References:

PROP 1 – Adult Marijuana legalization, regulation, and taxation proposal.

SEE FULL TEXT: https://www.regulatemi.org/initiative/ 

BALLOTPEDIA SUMMARY: https://ballotpedia.org/Michigan_Proposal_1,_Marijuana_Legalization_Initiative_(2018)

While most states have legalized medicinal marijuana in the past two decades, so far the states of California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Colorado, Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine, and Alaska have legalized adult use and possession of Marijuana. North Dakota and Michigan will decide on recreational marijuana in 2018. Missouri, Oklahoma, and Utah have medical marijuana questions on the ballot in 2018

Proposition 18-2: Constitutional Initiative Ballot Question - Citizen Redistricting Commission

A PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO ESTABLISH A COMMISSION OF CITIZENS WITH EXCLUSIVE AUTHORITY TO ADOPT DISTRICT BOUNDARIES FOR THE MICHIGAN SENATE, MICHIGAN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND U.S. CONGRESS, EVERY 10 YEARS.

This proposed constitutional amendment would:

• Create a commission of 13 registered voters randomly selected by the Secretary of State:

1. 4 each who self-identify as affiliated with the 2 major political parties; and
2. 5 who self-identify as unaffiliated with major political parties.

• Prohibit partisan officeholders and candidates, their employees, certain relatives, and lobbyists from serving as commissioners.
• Establish new redistricting criteria including geographically compact and contiguous districts of equal population, reflecting Michigan's diverse population and communities of interest. Districts shall not provide disproportionate advantage to political parties or candidates.
• Require an appropriation of funds for commission operations and commissioner compensation. 

References:

PROP 2 - Redistricting Commission Initiative.

SEE FULL TEXT: https://www.michigan.gov/documents/sos/Petition_Promote_the_Vote_614273_7.pdf

BALLOTPEDIA SUMMARY:   https://ballotpedia.org/Redistricting_in_Michigan#Michigan_Proposal_2.2C_Independent_Redistricting_Commission_Initiative_.282018.29

7 states use political commissions for state legislative redistricting. 37 states, including Michigan, allow state set voting districts. “Independent” commissions drew state legislative district lines in 6 states.

Proposition 18-3: Constitutional Initiative Ballot Question – Election day voter registration, absentee voting, and reinstate straight ticket party votes.

A PROPOSAL TO AUTHORIZE AUTOMATIC AND ELECTION DAY VOTER REGISTRATION, NO-REASON ABSENTEE VOTING, AND STRAIGHT TICKET VOTING; AND ADD CURRENT LEGAL REQUIREMENTS FOR MILITARY AND OVERSEAS VOTING AND POST-ELECTION AUDITS TO THE MICHIGAN CONSTITUTION.

This proposed constitutional amendment would allow a United States citizen who is qualified to vote in Michigan to:

• Become automatically registered to vote when applying for, updating or renewing a driver's license or state-issued personal identification card, unless the person declines. 

• Simultaneously register to vote with proof of residency and obtain a ballot during the 2-week period prior to an election, up to and including Election Day.
• Obtain an absent voter ballot without providing a reason. 
• Cast a straight-ticket vote for all candidates of a particular political party when voting in a partisan general election. 

References:

PROP 3 - Election day voter registration, no excuse absentee voting, and reinstate straight ticket party voting.

SEE FULL TEXT: https://www.michigan.gov/documents/sos/Petition_Promote_the_Vote_614273_7.pdf

BALLOTPEDIA SUMMARY: https://ballotpedia.org/Michigan_Proposal_3,_Voting_Policies_in_State_Constitution_Initiative_(2018)

• No-excuse absentee voting is found in the most states —27 and D.C. (an additional three states conduct elections via mail-in ballots). Same-day voter registration, which is used in 18 states and D.C.
• 14 states and D.C. use automatic voter registration, which is a method of voter registration first adopted in 2015 in Oregon and California.
• Straight-ticket voting—seven states utilize straight-ticket voting. Michigan had straight-ticket voting until the 2018 general election. In 2016, the Michigan State Legislature voted to eliminate straight-ticket voting. However, litigation stopped the bill from taking effect until the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene on September 7, 2018.