How The Ballot Amendment Process Became Democrats’ New Strategy To Entrench Their Agenda Into Law
It’s no secret Republicans suffered disappointing electoral outcomes in the 2022 midterms. Of all the highly-contested states, however, it’s Michigan where such defeats have proven the most consequential.
In addition to reelecting Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and giving Democrats total control of the state legislature, Michigan voters passed Props 2 and 3 — two ballot initiatives that enshrined both the left’s election takeover and rights to abortion and kids’ trans surgeries into the state’s constitution. As a result, neither Michigan’s elections nor its unborn are safe from leftist policies.
Over just a few short months, Michigan Democrats have been hard at work dismantling the state’s election system by advancing legislation expanding the use of state-funded ballot drop boxes and gutting safeguards for mail-in voting. Regarding Prop 3, Whitmer signed into law in April a measure repealing a 1931 statute that banned baby-killing in Michigan.
A New Strategy Is Born
Yes, Michigan’s passage of Props 2 and 3 ensured significant policy wins for Democrats. But it also gave them an idea on how to further embed their radical agenda into law — even in states where they don’t hold government power.
Prior to the 2022 midterms, it was Republicans who controlled both chambers of the Michigan Legislature. While able to act through executive fiat, Whitmer was largely prevented from passing any of the radical bills she and Michigan Democrats are now ramming through the legislature. Faced with a GOP firewall, Michigan Democrats turned to a new means of advancing their agenda: The ballot amendment process.
In a matter of months, coalitions of left-wing groups orchestrated a statewide campaign, collecting signatures to have Prop 2 and 3 placed on the ballot for Michigan’s 2022 elections. While initially failing to secure approval from the state’s board of canvassers, both proposals were given life after the Michigan Supreme Court ruled they could appear on the November ballot.
After receiving the green light from Michigan’s highest court, out-of-state, left-wing groups such as Planned Parenthood began pouring millions of dollars into the state to sway voters into supporting their bid to overall Michigan’s constitution.
In the end, their efforts proved successful.
The Democrat Game Plan For Future Elections
The outcome of Michigan’s 2022 elections taught Democrats a lesson: Advancing policy doesn’t require legislative majorities or control of the executive, but rather the willpower and money needed to convince enough voters to approve it.
Illinois Democrat Gov. J.B. Pritzker has all but admitted such a strategy could be used to entrench abortion into state constitutions across the country. In April, Pritzker told CNN he thinks Democrats “should put the right to choose on every ballot across the country in 2024 — not just with the candidates we choose, but with referendum efforts to enshrine reproductive rights in states where right-wing politicians are stripping those rights away.”
Such efforts are already underway in Republican-controlled states like Ohio, where pro-abortion activists are in the process of collecting signatures to have a constitutional amendment proposal allowing abortions “up until fetal viability” to be placed on the ballot this November. Relatedly, Ohio voters will be voting on a separate proposal during an Aug. 8 special election that would require constitutional amendment proposals to receive approval from 60 percent of voters rather than a simple majority.
Left-wing activists in red states such as Florida and South Dakota — both of which passed pro-life legislation within the past year — are also in the process of gathering signatures to potentially have pro-abortion initiatives appear on their states’ respective ballots for upcoming elections.
Meanwhile, Democrat-controlled states such as New York and Maryland have already passed such proposals that will be considered by voters during the 2024 election.
Democrats’ hope is that if left-wing activists in red or purple states can get their policy proposals placed on the ballot, out-of-state money from leftist mega-donors and campaigning by these activists will be enough to turn out sympathetic voters in blue localities. The goal is to convince enough voters to overhaul their state’s constitution, no matter how damaging or repulsive the policies will be.
If voters in “red” states like Kansas, Kentucky, and Montana can be convinced to reject pro-life amendments, then there’s not reason to believe it can’t happen everywhere else.
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood
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