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Election audit, minimum wage, abortion rights petitions move toward signature-gathering

Three petitions are inching closer to signature collection after a Michigan Board of State Canvassers meeting on Wednesday.

The petitions would raise Michigan’s minimum wage, constitutionally protect abortion rights and create a new board to review Michigan elections, including the 2020 November vote.

During the nearly 6-hour meeting, debate over summary language became tense with one board member describing the effort to once again audit the 2020 general election a “absurd topic.”

Jon Rocha is with the group “Audit Michigan.” He says his petition’s goal was to clarify the state’s election audit process.

 “Regardless of your political sway, if we have a lot of gray area in the law, without a lot of black and white, especially if we’re supposed to be a nation of laws, it’s allowing lawyers and judges to be able to interpret it any way they deem fit.”

Rocha says the campaign hopes to submit the petition form itself to the board next week.