Throughout 2026, the election-protection community in Michigan has been pushing back on efforts to make voting harder for people who are already eligible to vote. That effort has a name — #HandsOffMIVote — and this post brings the pieces together in one place: the open letter that voters have been signing, and the new HandsOffMIVote.org hub that is carrying the work forward.
The case against “show your papers”
Proposals that would require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote advanced at both the state and federal level during 2026. They are sold as election security, but they target a problem that, as the Fair Elections Center has documented, is extremely rare. In practice, the added paperwork — passports, certified birth certificates, naturalization papers — hits hardest for voters who have recently returned home after incarceration, or who have moved, changed their name, lost documents, or do not have easy access to records. Michigan voters have already made voting more accessible, with same-day registration, expanded early voting, and broad absentee access. Proposals of this kind risk rolling that progress back by creating confusion and new barriers for people who are already eligible.
The open letter
The #HandsOffMIVote Open Letter is a public statement from Michigan voters, community members, and organizations. Its message is direct: voting should be simple, and we are speaking up to keep it that way. The letter calls on leaders at every level to protect access to voting and keep the process fair, accessible, and easy to navigate — which means:
- Opposing efforts like HB 4765 and similar proposals that would require additional paperwork to prove eligibility to vote.
- Opposing attempts to interfere with or limit access to voting in Michigan’s state and local elections.
- Supporting the local election officials who help elections run safely and smoothly, and advocating for the resources they need.
The letter’s concern goes beyond the ballot to the people who staff elections. When the U.S. Department of Justice moved against election workers in Fulton County, Georgia — seeking the names of 2020 election workers — it became clear that attacks on voting access also target the people responsible for helping elections run safely. Michigan stands with the election workers in Fulton County and with election workers across the country.
Add your name to the Open Letter here and stand with Michigan voters defending access to voting and supporting election workers.
HandsOffMIVote.org: the new election protection hub
In August, Promote The Vote launched HandsOffMIVote.org, a new coalition resource designed to serve as the organizing and messaging hub for election protection work across Michigan. The site connects people with organizations doing election protection work on the ground, provides information about current threats to voting access and election administration, and is becoming a central place to find opportunities to take action — including local resolution efforts, volunteer opportunities, and election protection resources.
The site is built to grow with the work. Promote The Vote and coalition partners continue to develop content, tools, and materials for partners and the community, along with a longer-term communications strategy, so the hub keeps helping Michigan residents understand what is happening, what it could mean for voters, and how people can participate in protecting access to the ballot. It is being developed in collaboration with coalition partners so it can keep growing as a useful resource for organizations and community members working to protect voting access across the state.
Visit HandsOffMIVote.org to explore the hub, see what is at stake, and find your way in.
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