Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

A Michigan House select committee tasked with looking into the way ballot initiatives are certified, met Tuesday for the first time.

"This committee was created because something important happened in the state of Michigan," Rep. Mike Harris (R-Waterford), the committee chair, said. "And there's some questions that deserve answers."

Both Reps. Ann Bollin (R-Brighton Township) and Jason Woolford (R-Howell) were appointed to what's officially called the House Subcommittee on the Rules and Procedures of the Bureau of Elections and the State Board of Canvassers. It was set up after the Americans for Citizen voting measure failed to be certified.

"Basically, what they did was said 'Sorry about your luck. We don't want citizens-only voting on the ballot,' and we believe they did not do things correctly. This is why we have this select committee that the Speaker has put together," Woolford told WHMI News.

"We're going to make sure that people can trust our elections. We need to honor the 700,000 people that signed this petition. And we need to see how these signatures were reviewed, why signatures were rejected, and whether rules were applied consistently."

The board's two Republican and two Democratic members deadlocked on the measure and the signature threshold could not be met.

"The constitutional amendment needed only 446,000," said Woolford. "So, instead of reviewing every signature, the state reviewed a random sample of 1,000 signatures."

Harris insists the committee will not litigate the merits of the proposal.

"We're examining the process and whether it is educating all of our members on the committee on timelines, what are constitutional provisions, statutory provisions that they have to follow? Understanding what that process is," he said.

Harris said those behind the two proposals have been asked to testify, but he also wants to hear from bureau and board staff. He also doesn't rule out calling in Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, and her assistants.

A report on the committee's findings is expected by the end of the year, and may include some legislative recommendations.