Robert Sutphin sills out a ballot on Tuesday, March 8, 2016 during the Michigan presidential presidential primary at Calvary Bible Church in Lapeer. Conor Ralph | MLive.com

Three ballot initiatives approved for November 2018

It's official - Michigan voters will be deciding on three ballot initiatives when they go to the polls this November.

Proposals for recreational marijuana legalization, an independent redistricting commission and a series of changes to Michigan voting law have all been approved for the ballot.

Here's the exact language voters will be seeing, and what each proposal would do if enacted.

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(File photo, Mark Bugnaski / Kalamazoo Gazette)

Proposal 1: Legalize recreational marijuana

Proposal 1 would legalize, regulate and tax recreational marijuana. Those over 21 could use marijuana, but would still be unable to consume it in a public place or drive under the influence.

Local governments would decide whether or not to allow these businesses within their boundaries, and then the state Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs would regulate those businesses.

The language would also give Michigan the highest marijuana limits in the nation, allowing residents to legally carry 2.5 ounces of marijuana on their person and have 10 ounces at home.

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Medical marijuana is seen in a Bay County grow room. Heather Jordan | MLive

Michigan's Board of State Canvassers designated the petition, backed by the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, as Proposal 1 on Aug. 31, and solidified the 100-word summary of the five-page proposal voters will see on the ballot Sept. 6.

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J. Scott Park | MLive.com

Read the ballot language: Proposal 1

A proposed initiated law to authorize and legalize possession, use and cultivation of marijuana products by individuals who are at least 21 years of age and older, and commercial sales of marijuana through state-licensed retailers

This proposal would:

Allow individuals 21 and older to purchase, possess and use marijuana and marijuana-infused edibles, and grow up to 12 marijuana plants for personal consumption.

Impose a 10-ounce limit for marijuana kept at residences and require amounts over 2.5 ounces to be secured in locked containers.

Create a state licensing system for marijuana businesses and allow municipalities to ban or restrict them.

Permit retail sales of marijuana and edibles subject to a 10% excise tax, dedicated to implementation costs, clinical trials, schools, roads, and municipalities where marijuana businesses are located.

Change several current violations from crimes to civil infractions.

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Lauren Gibbons | MLive

Proposal 2: Create independent redistricting commission

Proposal 2 would amend the Michigan Constitution to create an independent redistricting commission. The 13-member commission would consist of five independent members, four self-declared Democrats and four self-declared Republicans.

Elected officials, candidates, lobbyists and political consultants or staffers -- as well as family members of politicians or other insiders -- would be barred from participating within six years of their politically-affiliated position.

The commissioners would be selected randomly from a pool of registered voters who submitted applications to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State would be required to circulate commissioner applications to 10,000 registered Michigan voters at random from various regions of the state.

Final maps for congressional and state House and Senate lines would require majority approval and support from at least two Republicans, two Democrats and two independents on the commission.

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On the ballot after lengthy challenge

A challenge to the constitutionality of the plan, backed by the group Voters Not Politicians, went all the way to the state Supreme Court, which determined in a 4-3 vote that it would be on the ballot.

The majority opinion concluded that the plan put forward by Voters Not Politicians was not a general revision of the Constitution, and did not negatively impact powers assigned by the three branches of government.

The court's majority decision concurred with a unanimous decision from the state Court of Appeals, which compelled the Michigan Board of State Canvassers to place the Voters not Politicians measure on the ballot after determining the initiative passed constitutional muster.

Voters Not Politicians successfully obtained a court order to get the Board of State Canvassers to determine their 100-word summary by Aug. 31, and the board did so on Aug. 30.

Independent redistricting plan will be on ballot, Supreme Court rules

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Read the ballot language: Proposal 2

A PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO ESTABLISH A COMMISSION OF CITIZENS WITH EXCLUSIVE AUTHORITY TO ADOPT DISTRICT BOUNDARIES FOR THE MICHIGAN SENATE, MICHIGAN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND U.S. CONGRESS, EVERY 10 YEARS

This proposed constitutional amendment would:

* Create a commission of 13 registered voters randomly selected by the Secretary of State:

- 4 each who self-identify as affiliated with the 2 major political parties; and

- 5 who self-identify as unaffiliated with major political parties.

* Prohibit partisan officeholders and candidates, their employees, certain relatives, and lobbyists from serving as commissioners.

* Establish new redistricting criteria including geographically compact and contiguous districts of equal population, reflecting Michigan's diverse population and communities of interest. Districts shall not provide disproportionate advantage to political parties or candidates.

* Require an appropriation of funds for commission operations and commissioner compensation.

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Proposal 3: Promote the Vote

Proposal 3, backed by the group Promote the Vote, is a Constitutional amendment that would implement no-reason absentee voting, give military members additional time to vote, let citizens register to vote anytime with proof of residency, allow straight party voting, protect secret ballots and require audits for election results.

Some of those amendments already exist in Michigan election law, including secret ballots and an additional amount of time for members of the military to vote.

But the initiative would add that language into the state Constitution in addition to the new changes proposed such as no-reason absentee voting and same-day registration.

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Lauren Gibbons | MLive

Promote the Vote turned in 430,000 signatures, but the proposal did not clear the first round of random sampling, when election officials worked to verify a sample of 500 signatures.

As election officials worked on verifying a second, larger batch of signatures, Promote the Vote filed a federal lawsuit claiming the Secretary of State and Elections Director used a "standard-less" process.

The second sampling of signatures was determined to be sufficient, and the Promote the Vote initiative moved forward.

The 100-word ballot summary for the initiative was approved by the Board of State Canvassers last week, although the petition's backers weren't thrilled with the way the initiative was described in that summary.

Read the official summary of Proposal 3, which would modify Michigan's voting laws

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'I Voted' stickers sit on a table at Muskegon Heights City Hall during the Michigan Primary election on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 in Muskegon Heights, Mich. (Joel Bissell | MLive.com)

Read the ballot language: Proposal 3

A proposal to authorize automatic and Election Day voter registration, no-reason absentee voting, and straight ticket voting; and add current legal requirements for military and overseas voting and post-election audits to the Michigan Constitution

This proposed constitutional amendment would allow a United States citizen who is qualified to vote in Michigan to:

Become automatically registered to vote when applying for, updating or renewing a driver's license or state-issued personal identification card, unless the person declines.

Simultaneously register to vote with proof of residency and obtain a ballot during the 2-week period prior to an election, up to and including Election Day.

Obtain an absent voter ballot without providing a reason.

Cast a straight-ticket vote for all candidates of a particular political party when voting in a partisan general election.

Read the official summary of Proposal 3, which would modify Michigan's voting laws

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Minimum wage, paid sick time proposals passed by Legislature and won't be on ballot

Two other proposals were almost on the ballot, but were instead adopted by the state legislature last week.

A plan from Michigan One Fair Wage to gradually raise Michigan's minimum wage to $12 an hour and include tipped workers and a proposal from MI Time To Care to mandate employers let workers earn one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked, were both approved in the House and Senate.

Republican leadership has said they plan to amend the proposals prior to the end of their session in December, but such a move would likely result in a court battle. Attorney Mark Brewer, who represents backers of both proposals, has said a legislative adopt and amend plan would be unconstitutional.

With passage by both chambers, the proposals need no signature from the governor and are now law. However, they don't go into effect until March.

Minimum wage hike, paid sick leave won't be on Michigan's ballot