Foreign Money Could Pave The Way For Non-Citizen Voting In Key Swing State

Thanks to a loophole in federal law, cash from foreign nationals could make the difference in a battle over Michigan election security. 

Earlier this month, the group Citizens Only Voting turned in 750,000 signatures to place a citizen-only voting proposal on the 2026 ballot in Michigan. Leftist groups that have taken millions in foreign-linked money have already come out swinging against the proposal, suggesting they will mount a stiff campaign against the election integrity measure. 

Those groups include Promote the Vote and Voters Not Politicians, groups that have been funded by dark money group Sixteen Thirty Fund during previous election-related campaigns. The Sixteen Thirty Fund has received a whopping $305 million from the Berger Action Fund, according to Americans for Public Trust. The Berger Action Fund is tied to Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss, who has dumped hundreds of millions of dollars into influencing American politics. 

“It would be incredibly ironic if it remains possible in Michigan for groups to spend foreign-tied money to try to defeat a ballot measure to prevent non-citizens from voting in Michigan elections,” Honest Elections Project Executive Director Jason Snead told The Daily Wire.

Of all the foreign-linked money the Sixteen Thirty Fund has spent on ballot initiatives, the most has been spent in Michigan. This spending has topped $34.5 million since 2014, according to Americans For Public Trust. 

Promote the Vote reportedly took over $11 million from the Sixteen Thirty Fund in 2022 to successfully push a ballot initiative critics said effectively banned voting requirements for photo ID by giving broad ability for people to just sign affidavits instead of presenting IDs. Snead said this made photo ID optional rather than required and would prevent localities from demanding proof of identity. 

Earlier this month, Promote the Vote Action told local outlet Michigan Advance that it would oppose efforts to require proof of citizenship to vote. Michael Davis, Jr., the group’s executive director, told the outlet that the citizen-only requirement will “make it more difficult for all of us to register and vote, resulting in the disenfranchisement of tens of thousands of eligible American citizens across the state. It’s voter suppression, pure and simple, and we’re confident Michigan voters will see this effort for what it really is.”

Voters Not Politicians, the other group that released a statement opposing the citizen-only ballot initiative, has also taken millions in foreign-tied money from the Sixteen Thirty Fund. In 2018, it took over $5 million from Sixteen Thirty to promote a ballot initiative that took away redistricting power from state legislators and transferred it to a supposedly bipartisan commission. 

Regarding the Michigan ballot initiative, Voters Not Politicians Executive Director Christy McGillivray said, “F**k this sh*t, actually.”

While her group has been supported by a billionaire-backed dark money organization, McGillivray attacked Citizens Only Voting for having wealthy supporters. 

“A billionaire from Illinois has bankrolled this entire campaign with the only goal to trick Michiganders into throwing away their own political power,” she said. “This ballot initiative is part of a wider national power grab by wealthy political elites who are trying to take power away from the people by blocking them from voting.”

Americans For Public Trust executive director Caitlin Sutherland said that the foreign influence loophole is “a huge threat to the state of Michigan.”

“We’re eager to work with legislative leaders to shut off foreign funding and state ballot issues across the country, and especially in Michigan,” she said. 

Advocates of the proposal say it would safeguard Michigan elections. Last year, a Chinese student in Michigan was charged with illegally voting in the 2024 election by the Justice Department. Democrat Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said the vote would count because it could not be taken out of the system even though it was illegally cast. 

“This is really to cement and restore the public’s confidence and trust in elections. It is not a high threshold,” said state Rep. Ann Bollin. “This is something I am sorry that I actually have to be here to say, that we need a constitutional amendment to do this.”

A bipartisan bill to ban foreign funding of ballot initiatives easily passed the Michigan House earlier this year but has currently stalled out in the Democrat-controlled Senate. 

“Are they really interested in keeping Michigan exposed to foreign spending and foreign influence, especially with a ballot measure coming up in November on an issue as crucial as trying to prevent non-citizens from voting in our elections?” Snead asked.

At least nine states have passed laws to ban foreign funding for ballot initiatives with support from the Honest Elections Project and Americans for Public Trust.