Bankes plans to send a letter to the Legislature asking that either lawmakers or the Board of State Canvassers handle the investigation, while O’Connor is asking for a probe by the secretary of state or attorney general’s office.
Canvassers disagreed on a motion to do an investigation themselves after being told by the attorney general’s office they don’t have the authority to investigate claims of fraud.
A motion to certify the signatures as sufficient for the ballot failed, with Democrats O’Connor and Paul Mitchell of St. Clair Shores voting against it. Republican Katherine DeGrow of Eaton Rapids voted for the motion, while Bankes abstained.
MCRI in January submitted more than 508,000 signatures in support of its proposal. It needs 317,757 valid signatures of registered voters to get the proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot. The group is supported by California businessman Ward Connerly, one of the nation’s most visible opponents of racial and gender preferences.
State elections officials reviewed a sample of 500 signatures and found 450 of them were valid. Based on that, elections bureau staff recommended the petitions be certified.
— Associated Press
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