Advocacy News – July 30, 2026
What’s happening: The Board of State Canvassers (BSC) voted Friday to certify the so-called Michiganders for Money Out of Politics (MMOP) petition for the November ballot, finding the campaign submitted enough valid signatures. However, Protect MI Free Speech (PMFS) — the opposition committee that includes the Michigan Chamber — plans to challenge that decision in court, arguing the Board made errors on several key issues.
Why it matters: MMOP, if it ultimately qualifies for the ballot and is adopted by voters, would significantly expand government regulation of political speech and association, limiting core First Amendment rights for certain industries and companies. It would create new burdens and restrictions for employers, nonprofits, local governments, community groups, and citizens engaged in public policy discussions by blurring the line between campaign activity and issue advocacy. The proposal also raises concerns about transparency and consistency, as campaign finance reports show MMOP’s support has come overwhelmingly from national progressive organizations and out-of-state billionaires despite claims that MMOP would “eliminate dark money” in politics.
By the numbers: The BSC’s decision was approved on a 3-1 vote. Supporters submitted more than 561,000 signatures and needed the 1,000-signature sample to demonstrate they have at least 356,958 valid signatures. In the end, the BSC concluded that the campaign exceeded the qualification threshold by just nine signatures – approximately 1% above the minimum required – despite entering the meeting with what appeared to be a substantial cushion. We believe this is the slimmest margin by which an issue has been certified by the BSC in modern history.
- What’s next: The BSC’s decision starts the Legislature’s 40-day window for review. They can choose to adopt it (making it law without a vote of the people), reject it (sending it to the voters), reject it and propose an alternative to place before the voters, or do nothing (sending it to the voters).
Our thought bubble: The legal team representing PMFS provided the BSC with numerous grounds for further scrutiny, including evidence of clearly fictitious and impossible addresses (such as “123 Unicorn Way”) and duplicate signatures, and the fact that the estimated validity rate remains within the sample’s margin of error. Unfortunately, the Board declined to pursue those issues further or accept those arguments by PMFS.
- “The BSC certification took place despite only nine petition signatures being the difference between certification or rejection — less than 1% more than the required amount,” said PMFS spokesperson John Sellek. “This process proved that MMOP is sloppy at best and deceptive at worst. … We believe serious problems remain, including the people who signed petitions despite being dead, apparently.”
The big picture: While MMOP was successful at the BSC, the question of whether they have sufficient signatures to qualify for the ballot remains an open question – and one we hope the Michigan Supreme Court will carefully consider.
Go deeper: Learn more about MMOP’s proposal.