Michigan could have a 'ranked-choice voting' option if petition gathers enough signatures

LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - Ranked choice voting is gaining attention across Michigan as a petition circulates to make it a reality in the state.

Big picture view:

If the petition drive gathers enough signatures, Michigan voters will decide if they want the ranked choice voting option. Ann Arbor, East Lansing, Royal Oak, Ferndale, and Kalamazoo have already approved it for their local elections.

The organizers aim to collect 600,000 signatures to ensure they have at least 426,000 valid names to qualify for the statewide November 2026 ballot. Joe Spaulding, the campaign manager, acknowledges that at their current pace, they might fail, but he remains hopeful.

"If we were supposed to be getting the same amount every month, we wouldn't be able to meet that goal right now, but the organization is rapidly growing, and the rate of growth indicates we are going to be able to get that," he said.

Local perspective:

If the law were in effect in 2026, all candidates hoping to replace Governor Gretchen Whitmer would appear on the same ballot, and voters would rank them from their favorite to least favorite. The candidate who reaches 50% first would win.

Voters in two other states and 47 cities report they like the system because it reduces many of the ugly attack ads and name-calling during campaigns.

"The voters there do notice there's a perceivable reduction in the temperature of the politics," Spaulding said.

The other side:

Meanwhile, the Republican Michigan House wants to outlaw the new system, with some calling it communistic and undemocratic.

"When you are going to increase the voice for voters, there's always pushback from the opposite side from folks who don't want those changes made," Spaulding said.

Spaulding notes that five other states have rejected the change, and he's hoping Michigan is not among them.