Michigan voters decide whether utilities can give to political campaigns
Michigan voters are deciding on November 3, 2026 whether to ban political donations by regulated utilities, the companies that deliver electricity and gas to homes and businesses. The statewide measure is designated Ballot Proposal 26-2 and is titled "Prohibiting Utilities from Making Political Contributions." Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency describes it as an amendment to the Michigan Campaign Finance Act, the state law that governs how political money is raised and spent.
If approved, the change would bar contributions from electric and gas utilities. It would also reach contractors that receive more than $250,000 a year in government contracts. The citizen campaign behind the measure, Michiganders for Money Out of Politics, which is also known as "Money Out of Politics," seeks to stop utilities from donating to state officeholders. The utilities most often named in coverage are DTE Energy and Consumers Energy, which together serve about 80% of Michigan's customers, according to The Guardian.
Protect MI Free Speech, the group opposing the measure, argues that it violates free speech protections under the Citizens United ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court decision on political spending. A recent poll found that 71% of respondents back the statewide ban, with support that crosses party lines, according to the same report.
The campaign has pointed to the state's reliability record as part of its argument. Michigan ranks among the nation's worst for how often and how long power outages occur, according to federal data cited by The Guardian.
Voters in Ann Arbor, a city in southeastern Michigan, are considering a separate question on the same day. That local proposal would municipalize the electric grid, creating a public power company to replace DTE Energy. Allies of the utilities within the city's leadership filed a last-minute lawsuit to stop the public power initiative. The city has set a goal of powering the entire community with 100% renewable energy by 2030, according to the city's sustainability program.
Both measures were on the ballot after the state's approval process. An Associated Press report from July 27, 2026 said the "Money Out of Politics" proposal had been cleared for placement on the ballot and that it seeks to curb political spending by DTE Energy and Consumers Energy.
