Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Voting Rights topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Canton trustees adopt resolution opposing documentary proof‑of‑citizenship ballot measure after lengthy debate
Summary
After public comment and extensive discussion about administrative burden, equity and past impacts in other states, the board adopted Resolution No. 2026‑32 opposing ballot proposals that would require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in Michigan.
The Canton Township Board of Trustees on May 19 adopted Resolution No. 2026‑32 opposing proposed ballot measures that would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship — such as a birth certificate or passport — to register to vote in Michigan.
Ben Gardner, senior campaign manager for the nonpartisan group All Voting is Local, urged the trustees during public comment to pass the resolution, saying similar measures in other states had disenfranchised large numbers of eligible voters and would make voting and election administration more difficult. “They would make it a lot more difficult to vote,” Gardner said, urging trustees to vote yes on the resolution.
Trustees and election‑administration staff raised administrative and equity concerns in a lengthier debate. One trustee detailed operational impacts, saying the proposal could double the number of ballot styles, double mailing and printing costs and force many voters to register in person, increasing workload and cybersecurity and privacy risks as clerks would have to store images of sensitive documents. The trustee warned of potential criminal liability for poll workers who make mistakes under the proposed law and said the state’s current systems support online and automated registration that could be largely eliminated by the change.
Another trustee cited court rulings and reported effects from Kansas and Arizona where documentary‑proof laws reduced voter participation; speakers said the measures disproportionately affect students, seniors, Indigenous communities, people experiencing homelessness and low‑income residents who may lack required documents.
Trustee Amara described the proposals as an attempt to strip rights from Americans, and multiple trustees — including board members with long experience in voter education and with civic groups — expressed the view that the measures would create confusion, increase costs and reduce access to absentee voting. The board voted to adopt the resolution opposing documentary proof‑of‑citizenship requirements, and the clerk recorded the motion as passing.
The resolution directs staff to transmit copies to the governor, secretary of state and the township’s legislative delegation and encourages voters to consider potential impacts before voting on such a ballot proposal.
