LANSING – Statewide petition drives are underway to place several referendums on the 2026 general election ballot, including three initiatives seeking constitutional amendments.

Under the Michigan Constitution, constitutional amendment petitions must gather signatures equal to 10 percent of the total votes cast in the last gubernatorial election, which was in 2022. For this cycle, each campaign must collect 446,198 valid signatures from registered voters within 180 days.

School funding through wealth taxes

One of the campaigns, called Invest in MI Kids, would generate new resources for Michigan’s schools by raising taxes on the wealthy. The proposal targets individuals earning at least $500,000 annually, or $1 million for joint filers.

Campaign organizers say the measure would raise about $1 billion annually, with funds dedicated to vocational education, reducing class sizes and retaining teachers.

Volunteers are raising awareness and encouraging people to vote yes for the proposal. — Imani Foster, Invest in MI Kids

Despite legal and political hurdles — including restrictions that prevented the petition from including a formal summary — volunteers began collecting signatures last Friday. The effort faces strong opposition from a conservative coalition known as Stop Higher Taxes on Businesses and Families.

Imani Foster, a spokesperson for Invest in MI Kids, said 500 trained volunteers have already started collecting signatures, out of 1,000 registered with the campaign. The campaign aims to collect about 700,000 signatures — far above the minimum requirement — to ensure qualification for the 2026 ballot.

Changing the way Michigan votes

Another effort, launched a month earlier, is Rank MI Choice, which would change Michigan’s election system starting in 2029. The proposal would allow voters to rank candidates for federal and statewide offices (governor, attorney general and secretary of state).

This ranked-choice voting system differs from the current system, which allows voters to select only one candidate. Similar systems are already used in places like New York City’s mayoral race and Alaska’s federal elections.

Many young people feel trapped by the current system and are joining in large numbers — not just to circulate petitions, but to thank us for giving them an opportunity.— Joe Spaulding, Rank MI Choice

Unlike the school tax campaign, Rank MI Choice faced few hurdles and quickly received approval for its petition language. Campaign Director Joe Spaulding said the measure has been met with strong enthusiasm, noting that the number of activists has doubled every 30 days for the past three months.

Supporters say the system would allow voters to support the candidates they truly believe in, rather than choosing the “least objectionable” option. Critics, however, argue that ranked-choice voting could encourage backroom deals among candidates.

Eliminating the property tax

A third initiative, AxMITax, seeks to eliminate property taxes in Michigan. Unlike the other two campaigns, its petition text has not yet been approved by the Michigan Board of Elections, though organizers began collecting signatures in April.

This is a purely grassroots effort, and we already have about 2,000 volunteers despite limited resources.— Karla Wagner, AxMITax

Founder Karla Wagner expressed confidence despite the legal risks: “Everything is on track.” Wagner, who plans to run for governor as a Republican in 2026 to spotlight the issue, previously attempted a similar campaign in 2024, but failed to collect enough signatures.

Critics warn the proposal would slash essential revenues for schools, libraries, parks, police and emergency services. Supporters argue the state would replace some of this lost funding to ensure local governments and infrastructure continues functioning.

Other efforts

Other petition drives are also being organized across Michigan, including proposals to:

• Tighten voter ID laws,

• Repeal new state policies on minimum wage and paid sick leave, passed earlier this year.