LANSING — One 2026 ballot campaign is facing a setback after the Board of State Canvassers revoked their approval to start gathering signatures.
The Invest in MI Kids campaign, a wealth tax initiative okayed by the board last month, had its approval rescinded after the proposal was altered without public consideration.
The campaign could still begin collecting signatures this summer, but would have to receive approval again before they do so.
The chair of the bipartisan board said that the petition and signature gathering process must be followed to a tee to ensure faith in the election system.
“That process is something that everybody has to put trust in, and they have to put trust in all the way through — not even just here, but all the way to the ballot box,” said Republican Chair Richard Houskamp.
Signatures from voters are only valid for 180 days, meaning that once the signature drive kicks off, campaigns have six months to gather support before they start bleeding support.
The state board has already approved half a dozen other campaigns to start collecting signatures, including pushes for ranked-choice voting, lower taxes and greater voter ID requirements.
Proposed constitutional amendments require nearly 450,000 valid signatures from Michigan voters to be considered for the 2026 ballot.