In Michigan, the Board of Canvassers is responsible for certifying election results, as well as certifying petitions for ballot proposals and candidates seeking state or federal office. The four-member BSC is split evenly with two Democrats and two Republicans.
The nonpartisan League of Women Voters of Michigan and longtime election experts hosted a press conference Wednesday as a reminder before the Nov. 8 election that certifying results doesn’t need to be complicated — despite what we’ve seen since the 2020 election.
The Board of State Canvassers made it in just the nick of time, certifying the proposals with only hours to spare for the county clerks’ deadline to certify general election ballots at 5 p.m. Friday.
It’s not certain whether the Reproductive Freedom for All proposal will get in front of voters in November after the Board of State Canvassers deadlocked on party lines Wednesday. The board also deadlocked Wednesday on whether an initiative to expand voting rights will end up on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. Both matters are now expected to be resolved in the Michigan Supreme Court.
The bipartisan Board of State Canvassers unanimously voted Monday to reject the Fair and Equal Michigan petition to amend the state’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to expand anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ residents due to a lack of valid signatures. The group was aiming to get the issue before voters in 2022.
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