Michiganders for Money Out of Politics, a campaign supporting a ballot initiative that would prohibit certain organizations and individuals from making campaign contributions, submitted an estimated 562,000 signatures to the Michigan secretary of state's office on May 27, 2026. The campaign needs 356,958 valid signatures to qualify for the November 2026 ballot.

Christy McGillivray, the co-chair of the campaign, said, “Voters in Michigan will get to vote this November to ban the corrupt campaign donations flowing from regulated utilities, like DTE and Consumers, and corporations with contracts with the state of Michigan, like Blue Cross Blue Shield. These are the same companies who are not checked when they raise our utility bills, when they raise our health care premiums, because they are the ones funding the politicians who are supposed to be representing us.”

The initiative would prohibit regulated electric and gas utilities, government contractors with over $250,000 in annual government contracts, and organizations or individuals with substantial connections to those utilities or contractors from making direct or indirect campaign contributions to candidates for governor, attorney general, secretary of state, the state legislature, and certain local offices, as well as to ballot measure committees.

The measure would also provide additional regulations on campaign finance and political communications spending. It would require disclaimers and disclosure requirements for political communications, including internet advertisements and prerecorded phone messages, made with artificial intelligence. It would also require disclosure reports for electioneering communications exceeding $5,000 a year, and lower the threshold for independent expenditure reporting from $1,000 or more a year to more than $500.01 a year.

The measure would also expand electioneering disclosure requirements for ads that clearly identify candidates or ballot measures, even if the ad does not expressly advocate for or against them. Current Michigan law requires disclosure for ads that explicitly advocate for or against a candidate or measure.

Wendy Block, the senior vice president of business advocacy for the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, criticized the measure, saying, “What’s clear is that this measure raises serious concerns and sets a dangerous precedent by limiting public discourse and free speech. We believe Michigan’s political and legislative process should welcome all voices and encourage fair, open and transparent debate.”

Currently, Michigan voters are deciding on one ballot measure on Nov. 3, 2026—a constitutional convention question that was automatically referred to the ballot. One other campaign submitted signatures for an initiative that would provide that only U.S. citizens can vote in elections.