GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — For weeks, all eyes are on what Michigan House Republicans will be planning to do once they take back the chamber come January.
Now, a state representative from West Michigan says his "number one issue" will be clamping down on ID verification requirements for voting.
In a release sent to 13 ON YOUR SIDE Wednesday morning, State Rep. Bryan Posthumus (R-Rockford) indicated he is set to introduce a constitutional amendment to change how one's identification can be verified before they are able to cast a vote.
"Only American citizens can vote in American elections," Posthumus said in the release. "Unfortunately, the current election law and framework are insufficient to safeguard this foundational principle."
As allowed under current Michigan law, the state's voters typically verify their identification at a polling place using either their photo ID or by signing an affidavit that swears to that legal identification.
If authorities discover the individual lied on the affidavit, the person could face criminal penalties.
In both his release and in an interview with 13 ON YOUR SIDE Wednesday morning, Posthumus signaled he is set to introduce an amendment to Michigan's constitution that would codify both a requirement for proof of citizenship upon voter registration as well as a requirement to show government-issued ID when someone goes to vote at the polling place.
It's a concept he believes is "common sense."
"This is a no-brainer," Posthumus told 13 ON YOUR SIDE. "Only U.S. citizens should be able to vote in our elections."
It comes after outlets including the Associated Press reported on charges against a student from China studying at the University of Michigan who allegedly cast a ballot in the November election while not being a U.S. citizen.
"That was the tipping point for me," Posthumus said. "Like, that's it. We have to fix this problem."
But whether Posthumus will be able to push through the idea once introduced remains an open question.
Because the current ID verification language, Posthumus said, is enshrined in the state's constitution, he is seeking an amendment to that constitution.
But constitutional amendments in Michigan come with a much higher bar than typical legislation.
Whereas much of what's introduced in Lansing needs simple majority support from both houses of the legislature and a signature from the governor, the kind of amendment Posthumus says he'll propose would need the ok from two-thirds supermajorities in both the Michigan House and Senate and approval from the state's voters in the next statewide election.
"I think that a lot of Democrats will come on board," Posthumus hypothesized, citing a Gallup poll from October in which, according to the pollster, 84% of respondents supported requiring photo ID to vote and 83% supported providing proof of citizenship when registering to vote for the first time.
Even if his anticipated effort fails to gain traction, Posthumus said, the setback wouldn't be the end of his push.
"While I'm hopeful, and my expectation is that we can work on this in a bipartisan manner to get this on the ballot, if it doesn't, I'll tell you, one thing I will say is I'm absolutely committed to make sure this is on the ballot," Posthumus said. "And so, if we can't do it legislatively, you know, we'll do it through a citizen-led issue initiative."