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December 11, 2025

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Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2026” Annual Priorities Publication Targets Ranked Choice Voting

The Heritage Foundation has pledged to oppose Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in its annual priorities publication. Dubbed “Project 2026” by critics, the publication champions anti-voter positions beyond a nationwide ban on Ranked Choice Voting, including making it more difficult to vote by requiring passport-level documentation in order to receive a ballot.

That makes Michigan ground zero in a national battle over whether voters or political insiders will shape the rules of our elections. Michigan is the only state with a currently circulating statewide Ranked Choice Voting ballot petition, driven by Rank MI Vote’s grassroots campaign of volunteers. Out-of-state money is pouring into Michigan to oppose the petition while also paying circulators from out of state to promote a program making it more difficult for Michigan residents to vote by requiring proof of citizenship.

“The Heritage Foundation authored Project 2026 will be deeply unpopular with Michigan voters,” said Rank MI Vote Campaign Director Joe Spaulding. “Out-of-state special interests oppose Ranked Choice Voting for a very simple reason: it means elections deliver representative, majority-supported outcomes where voters can easily reject their extreme policy agendas.”

Others see a more cynical calculation at play with the Heritage Foundation’s move this week. Ranked Choice Voting requires the winners of our elections to have support from more than 50% of voters and increases voter turnout. These two simple improvements make it drastically more difficult for billionaires and dark money PACs to influence the outcome of elections simply by spending more money. Stopping this is an apparent national priority for the Heritage Foundation and their network of adjacent statewide groups.

About Rank MI Vote

Rank MI Vote (RMV) is a non-partisan, volunteer-led organization dedicated to bringing Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) to Michigan via a constitutional amendment ballot initiative in 2026. RMV envisions a future where every voter feels heard, every vote matters, and democracy reflects the people — not party elites and special interests.

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