The Oakland County Board of Commissioners voted 11-6 Thursday to oppose the Americans for Citizen Voting ballot initiative, a proposal to enact strict voter ID rules in Michigan.
The initiative has been criticized by opponents as voter suppression, who argue that the actual impact would prevent a significant number of U.S. citizens — such as those who do not have passports — from casting their ballots.
Thursday’s vote makes Oakland County the fifth county in the state to formally oppose the proposal, joining the boards of commissioners of Washtenaw County, Wayne County, Ingham County and Kalamazoo County. An additional nine city or township councils have also formally opposed the proposal.
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“The Michigan version of the SAVE Act is not about protecting democracy—it’s about creating new barriers for eligible citizens who already have the right to vote. Every eligible voter deserves the opportunity to make their voice heard without unnecessary obstacles,” said Kermit Williams, political director for Oakland Forward, in a press release following the vote. “Instead of making it harder for seniors, veterans, married women who have changed their names, and working families to participate in our elections, we should be focused on expanding access while maintaining the secure election systems Michigan voters have already endorsed.”
The group behind the proposal, Americans for Citizen Voting, said in early March that they had collected 750,000 petition signatures, well above the threshold to get the initiative on the ballot, though those signatures have not yet been verified by the Department of State.
Requests for comment by Americans for Citizen Voting were left by voicemail and email, but have yet to be returned. If a comment is received, this story will be updated.
Kurt O’Keefe, one of the organizers behind Americans for Citizen Voting Michigan, a ballot committee dedicated to enacting voter ID and citizen-only voting in Michigan, lords over several boxes of petition signature sheets as the group prepares to deliver them to the Michigan Department of State. The group said it collected more than 750,000 signatures, which still need to be reviewed for validity by the state’s Bureau of Elections. March 4, 2026 | Photo by Ben Solis/Michigan Advance
The proposal would establish new voter roll verifications, compelling the secretary of state to regularly review voter rolls and remove noncitizens if they are found. It would also establish a new requirement for voters to possess a photo ID before casting a vote.
Michigan election law already requires voters to show a photo driver’s license or a photo state identification card at their election precinct, or in the absence of one, sign a legal affidavit. The same is true for obtaining an absentee ballot.
“Oakland County is joining the chorus of local leaders — stretching all the way from Detroit to Chikaming Township, who are standing up to billionaire-funded politicians trying to seize power by stopping thousands of regular Michiganders from voting by requiring passports and birth certificates to register and vote,” said Christy McGillivray, the executive director for Voters Not Politicians, in a press release. “These mandates would directly interfere with our elections, not make them safer. That is why so many local elected leaders are sounding the alarm.”