Circulators Paid $4/Signature to Put "Voter ID" on the Ballot in 2026

One of the ballot petitions making the rounds this fall adds unnecessary red tape for clerks and prevents eligible Michiganders from voting. Unfortunately, many people may not realize this before signing, as its circulators are paid to collect signatures and are under no obligation to tell the truth.

The two groups funding these petitions, Americans for Citizen Voting and Committee to Protect Voters' Rights, are paying circulators $4 per signature. Under Michigan law, it's legal to pay circulators as long as paid status is disclosed on the petition. It's also not illegal for petitioners to lie or omit details when soliciting signatures.

The proposed Michigan Voter ID law is a copycat version of the SAVE Act, which failed nationally earlier this year. It would require all Michigan voters to prove their citizenship (and name change, if applicable) with paper documents—such as a certified birth certificate or passport—by the 2028 presidential election.

"People are signing it because it is being sold falsely to them as a petition for 'free voter ID' or even 'voting rights,'" says Lisa Jevens of Voters Not Politicians. 

She asks the public to do three things when considering lending support to any ballot initiative:

1. Please read what you are being asked to sign, always!

2. If you see circulators at private businesses, like your grocery store—where they DO NOT have a legal right to be without explicit permission—complain to the management!

3. Join the Decline to Sign movement against voter suppression and attend one of Voters Not Politicians' online sessions to learn how to interact with the circulators.

Jevens also warns that these campaigns thrive on false claims and rhetoric about non-citizen voting.

"We already have voter ID laws in Michigan, and it is already illegal for noncitizens to vote," she confirms.

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