(Source: MIRS News, originally published 07/01/2022) – Former gubernatorial candidate Perry Johnson supporters would say his campaign fell victim to Michigan’s stringent nominating petition process. That might explain why the Oakland County billionaire is on a mission to rewrite that process so others don’t fall victim to the same pitfalls.

Johnson is working with House Caucus Chair Matt Hall (R-Comstock Township) on ideas to revamp the process, starting with the possibility of creating an avenue for candidates who turn in their nominating petitions early to get them pre-checked by the Bureau of Elections, possibly for a fee.

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The idea is if election officials find problems before the filing deadline, the campaign can correct the issues before the official filing deadline.

Hall said he’s not leading with a proposal to lower the 15,000-signature minimum for gubernatorial candidates, but he’s open to talking about it as any reform moves through the committee process.

Johnson’s team would argue that surrounding states are not nearly as tough on potential candidates.

A review of the Great Lakes states shows Wisconsin has the lowest bar with only 2,000 names needed. Minnesota mandates 2,000 signatures, but candidates can pay $300 instead to avoid that grind. Illinois has it at 5,000 names while Indiana and Ohio have a 5% requirement based on the total votes cast in the last election.

Nationwide, 38 states require petition signatures and 20 of those are between 2,000 and 12,000 and 17 other states are 2,500 to 12,000.

Another idea would be to allow campaigns to access the Qualified Voter File to verify signatures, but Hall’s not sure he wants to go there.

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“Every person’s signature is in that file,” he explained as he’s concerned about candidates having access to the sensitive system.

Johnson and Hall would like to explore other issues and come up with a proposal to discuss in a committee sometime after Labor Day.