Michigan's 2026 turnout will make it harder to get voter initiatives on future ballots

(FOX 2) - There are many unknowns heading into the next election cycle. But there is one known: it will be harder to put a voter initiative on the ballot in 2028.

And while most voters have no interest in hearing about the 2028 presidential election, those in political circles are already turning toward the next campaign.

Those looking to amend the state constitution or Michigan law will need to get more signatures on the ballot in 2028 and 2030.

Requirements for Michigan ballot measures

What we know:

There are three types of citizen-initiated ballot measures in Michigan. Each one requires a certain number of signatures to qualify for the upcoming electoral ballot.

And that number is based on the voter turnout in the previous governor's race:

Constitutional amendments (10%)
State Statutes (8%)
Referendums (5%).

Michigan Voter Turnout

By the numbers:

In Michigan, 4,752,2670 people voted in the race for governor. Governor-elect Jocelyn Benson won by more than 500,000 votes, according to preliminary election data.

Compare that to 2022 when 4,500,400 people voted.

For the 2026 election, there was one citizen-pushed state statute: Prop 2, which restricts the political donations that utility companies and large government contractors can make to public officials and candidates.

The signature threshold for getting Prop 2 on the ballot was based on the voter turnout from 2022.

Why you should care:

Public officials applauded Michigan's record voter turnout this cycle, seeing it as a sign of participation in the civic process.

But with those bigger numbers comes a higher bar that citizens must meet if they hope to put any amendments or statutes on the ballot in 2028.

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