Resource: Jobs for Downriver v. Whitmer

Plaintiffs, duly-formed local ballot question committees, challenged various municipal charter provisions and Michigan statutes related to the number of signatures required to submit local ballot questions, and the deadlines to submit the signatures to place questions on the November 3, 2020 general election ballot. Plaintiffs contended that they were unable to secure the requisite number of signatures in time for the proposals to be placed on the general election ballot due to restrictive Governor’s executive orders related to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Plaintiffs alleged that the Governor’s orders restricting their ability to circulate petitions and gather sufficient signatures violated Plaintiff’s First and Fourteen Amendment rights.