LANSING, Mich. — It’s official, voters will have their say on both the Promote the Vote and the Reproductive Freedom for All initiatives after the Michigan Supreme Court ordered the Board of State Canvassers to certify their petitions.
The Board of State Canvassers voted unanimously to place both initiatives on the November ballot. Promote the Vote aims to make elections more accessible and Reproductive Freedom for All will decide the future of abortion care in the state.
“I feel great of course, now, the hard work begins where we have to get everybody out to vote," said Nomi Joyrich, a local faith leader who attended the meeting on Friday.
Board Chair Tony Daunt and member Richard Housekamp, who both initially voted against placing both petitions on the ballot last week, switched their positions and voted in favor on Friday.
“There was never any doubt in my mind that, if the court ordered us to put this on the ballot, that’s what we would do," said Daunt.
Daunt said in discussions before the vote that decision was not a partisan one.
“It wasn’t partisan if the issue I was generally supportive of, if we had approved to form a petition in one manner, looking one way, and then they circulated a different version and it was discovered by opponents, I think it’s important that it be exactly as we approved,” Daunt said.
Now that the Michigan Supreme Court has weighed in, Steven Liedel, an attorney working with the Reproductive Freedom for All initiative, tells me there aren’t further steps to be taken to prevent the initiative from going before voters.
“The Supreme Court was clear. If you look on their website, they indicate that the order they issued yesterday was a dispositive order, so in plain English, it means it’s a final order, it’s the final word on the questions raised," said Liedel.
These proposals should appear on the ballot with a simple yes or no vote. In the coming weeks, we’ll show you what our mid-Michigan ballots will look like, and if you have questions, engage with us! We’ll answer as much as we can.
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