State Rep. Greg Alexander is supporting a new proposed constitutional amendment that works to uphold the integrity of Michigan’s elections.

The amendment requires proof of citizenship when registering to vote and photo identification when casting a ballot.

“Protecting our elections should be a priority for everyone, and only those who are eligible to vote should be voting in our elections,” said Alexander, of Carsonville. “If we break from that, a critical pillar of our democratic institutions goes out the window. This is a simple verification measure that ensures votes are coming from eligible voters.”

In October, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s office announced charges against a 19-year-old University of Michigan student from China who was not a U.S. citizen when he allegedly registered and cast a ballot at a university art museum that served as an early polling location. The ballot that was cast almost certainly was counted in the election due to current election laws.

To become state law, the proposed amendment must be approved by Michigan voters. Before that, it must be approved by both the House and Senate with a two-thirds vote from each chamber. The governor’s signature is not required for lawmakers to put an amendment on the ballot.

If voters approve the proposed amendment:

• Anyone registering to vote after Dec. 18, 2026 will have to provide proof of citizenship. Proof of citizenship would only have to be provided when registering to vote; voters would not have to prove citizenship every single time they vote.
• Photo ID would be required to vote in-person. Citizens who do not remember to bring photo ID with them to their polling location will still be allowed to cast a provisional ballot by signing an affidavit of identify (just like under current law), but it won’t be tabulated unless they provide photo ID within six days.
• The state would be required to provide free photo ID to people who cannot afford it, so that they are not denied their constitutional right to vote.
• The Legislature would have to define how citizenship can be proved.
• Voters who choose to vote by absentee ballot would have to establish their identity by providing a copy of their ID, a driver’s license number, state personal identification number, or the last four digits of their social security number.
• The state would have to, on an ongoing basis, verify that everyone who appears in the statewide qualified voter file is a U.S. citizen, and that registration lists used in polling locations are consistent with the statewide qualified voter file. If a registered voter’s citizenship is challenged, they will get notified and have a chance to respond before their name is removed from the qualified vote file.
• If citizenship status is not confirmed before an individual attempts to vote, then they must cast a provisional ballot that will not be tabulated until they provide proof of citizenship.

“These are commonsense reforms that work to protect Michigan’s elections,” Alexander said. “In many areas of Michigan, including communities in our region, smaller races can be decided by just a couple of votes. When we have a documented instance of a non-citizen voting in our elections, we need to pursue strong standards so that we know it isn’t happening again. We can’t just assume that it won’t.”

House Joint Resolution B was referred to the House Elections Committee for consideration.