Republican gubernatorial nominee John James is blasting Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s office (she is his opponent) after the Citizens-Only Voting Amendment reportedly fell just three valid signatures short in the state’s statistical sample.

The proposed constitutional amendment would require voters to show photo ID, verify U.S. citizenship and require periodic reviews of the state’s voter rolls. Those provisions put the proposal squarely at odds with Benson, who has repeatedly opposed election-integrity measures advanced by Michigan Republicans, as well as voting-related changes pushed by the Trump administration.

Organizers of the petition submitted roughly 710,000 signatures in March, well above the raw number required. But Michigan Bureau of Elections staff, operating under Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s Department of State, reviewed a random sample of 1,000 signatures and projected the petition did not have enough valid signatures statewide to qualify for the November ballot.

And then on Monday, Aug. 24, the Michigan Board of State Canvassers deadlocked 2-2 on certifying the Citizens-Only Voting Amendment for the November ballot. Because certification requires three votes, the proposal did not make the ballot through the board. And yes, the two voting against certification were Democrats.

James called the process an attempt to “silence 700,000 Michigan voters,” pointing specifically to signatures rejected despite some voters later providing notarized affidavits saying they had signed the petition. He also criticized the months-long review and Benson’s dual position as Michigan’s chief election officer and the Democratic nominee for governor.

Jocelyn Benson is against voter ID, and her office is trying to keep this question off the ballot — with her staff rejecting signatures even from voters who later submitted notarized affidavits swearing they signed the Citizen Only Voting Petition.

The Benson-El-Sayed ticket… https://t.co/r5xegjT5tI

— John James (@JohnJamesMI) August 24, 2026

“Michiganders deserve elections they can trust,” James said, adding that non-citizens “will not vote in Michigan” if he becomes governor. The controversy comes as Attorney General Dana Nessel recently announced charges against five non-citizens accused of voting in the 2024 election.

The fight to get the petition on the ballot might not be over just yet, though. Americans for Citizen Voting Michigan plans to sue, asking a court to essentially order the proposal onto the November ballot. Whether it actually goes anywhere is another question. And if it ultimately lands before Michigan’s Democratic-nominated Supreme Court majority, well, let’s just say supporters probably shouldn’t bother putting the champagne on ice.