State Rep. Jason Woolford will serve on a new House select committee examining what happened to the Americans for Citizen Voting petition after the campaign submitted 709,841 signatures but the proposal did not advance to the November ballot.

The Michigan House of Representatives created the select committee after the Board of State Canvassers deadlocked on whether the petition had enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. The proposed constitutional amendment would require people voting in Michigan elections to prove they are U.S. citizens.

“When more than 700,000 Michiganders put their names on a petition, we have a responsibility to make sure the process is fair, transparent, and accountable,” Woolford said. “People deserve to know what happened here, and I’m looking forward to digging into the facts and getting them some answers.”

The Board of State Canvassers spent nearly seven hours Monday, Aug. 24, reviewing the petition before deadlocking on whether the campaign met the required threshold of 446,198 valid signatures.

The dispute centered on a sample of 1,000 petition signatures reviewed by election officials. According to the Bureau of Elections, Americans for Citizen Voting fell just short of the number of valid signatures needed within that sample to qualify for certification.

“This isn’t about Republicans or Democrats. It’s about whether Michiganders can trust the process,” Woolford said. “There are 709,841 signatures behind this petition. We need to understand how those signatures were reviewed, why the proposal was kept off the ballot, and whether the process got it right.”

The committee’s work comes amid continued concerns about noncitizen voting in Michigan. Earlier this year, the Secretary of State’s office reported that 15 noncitizens cast ballots in the 2024 general election. Attorney General Dana Nessel also recently announced charges against five noncitizens for election-related crimes connected to the 2024 election cycle.

Woolford said ensuring confidence in Michigan elections requires both secure elections and a process the public can understand and trust.

“Citizens should decide the future of their state, and they should have confidence that their voices matter,” Woolford said. “Our job on this committee is to ask the tough questions, get the facts out in the open, and make sure Michiganders get the transparency they deserve.”

The select committee is expected to begin its work in the coming weeks.