On Thursday, July 16, the Oakland County Board of Commissioners voted 11-6 to pass Resolution #2026-6651, opposing a proposed Michigan constitutional amendment that would require eligible voters to provide additional documents, such as a passport or certified birth certificate, to register to vote and would eliminate the current option to register using a driver’s license.

Commissioner Yolanda Smith Charles introduced the resolution. Oakland County is now the fifth Michigan county to formally oppose the proposal, joining a growing number of cities, townships, and counties across the state.

The proposed constitutional amendment is not currently law. Petition signatures have been submitted in an effort to place it on the November 2026 ballot, pero the proposal must complete the state review and certification process before appearing on the ballot.

Michigan voters approved constitutional changes in 2018 and 2022 that expanded access to voter registration, absentee voting, and in-person early voting. The proposed amendment would move Michigan in the opposite direction by adding new document requirements for eligible voters.

What the Oakland County resolution says

The resolution opposes the ballot initiative being advanced by Americans for Citizen Voting.

The proposal would eliminate the option to register to vote using a driver’s license and create a statewide citizenship-verification process requiring additional documentation. Eligible voters could be required to provide records such as a passport or certified birth certificate when registering or updating their voter registration.

According to an analysis cited in the coalition’s July 16 press release, nearly 1.1 million Michigan voters registered through methods that could be disrupted by documentary proof of citizenship requirements, including online registration, mailed applications, and community voter registration drives.

The Oakland County resolution raises concerns about the cost, paperwork, confusion, and additional administrative requirements the proposal could create for voters and local election officials.

The resolution also asks the Oakland County Clerk to send copies to Michigan’s other 82 counties and Oakland County’s delegation in the state Legislature.

Passing the resolution does not change Michigan voting law. It records Oakland County’s opposition to the proposed amendment and calls attention to the barriers documentary requirements could create for eligible voters.

VAAC joins local leaders in opposing new barriers

Angela Davenport, executive director of Voting Access for All Coalition, responded to the vote: “Voting is the voice of the people, the power behind progress, and one of the few tools ordinary people have to hold power accountable. When we make it harder for eligible citizens to vote, we are not protecting democracy, we are weakening it. Every barrier placed between a voter and the ballot box is a barrier placed between a community and its future.”

Current Michigan and federal law already prohibit noncitizens from registering or voting. When registering, Michigan voters must affirm under penalty of perjury that they are U.S. citizens.

Half of Michigan residents do not have a passport, and nearly one million do not have access to a certified birth certificate.

Others have records that do not match their current legal name, including people who changed their names after marriage. Obtaining replacement documents can require fees, transportation, time away from work, childcare, and additional paperwork.

These requirements could especially affect young and older voters, veterans, low-income voters, working families, and people whose current legal names do not match their birth certificates, including many married women. They could also create additional barriers for people with disabilities, people experiencing housing instability, and people returning home from incarceration.

Help bring a resolution to your community

Oakland County’s vote is part of a statewide effort led by nearly 50 nonpartisan organizations and community members.

Residents can help bring similar resolutions to their city, township, or county. You do not need policy expertise or previous advocacy experience to participate.

Complete the local resolution campaign sign-up form, and a coalition team member will follow up with materials and possible next steps.

Participants may help by:

• Contacting local elected officials
• Sharing the coalition letter and proposed resolution language
• Attending a city council, township board, or county commission meeting
• Providing public comment
• Inviting other community members to participate

You can also share the sign-up form with someone who may be interested in helping introduce a resolution in their community.

To request the coalition letter, email contact@votingaccessforall.org with “DPOC Coalition Letter Request” in the subject line.

For questions or suggestions about the statewide resolutions campaign, contact Ben Gardner, Michigan Senior Campaign Manager with All Voting Is Local, at ben@allvotingislocal.org.