A significant date in Michigan’s election history is 1978. Why? 1978 was the last time that voters in Michigan were faced with at least six ballot initiatives, or amendments to the State’s constitution. Below is a list of how these changes to Michigan’s future faired:

• Legal limit parole-violent criminals; minimum sentence: Passed 
• Call for constitutional convention: Failed 
• Alcohol Regulation; Must be 21 to purchase/possess alcohol: Passed 
• Tax limitation (“Headlee Amendment”): Passed 
• Labor; Collective bargaining for Michigan State Troopers: Passed 
• Education; Exempt property tax from school operations and also would have established a school voucher system: Failed 
• Property taxes; local mandates; voter approval; Failed

• Citizens for More Michigan Jobs wants voters to authorize new casinos in eight locations around the state: Detroit, Grand Rapids, Romulus, Pontiac, DeWitt Township north of Lansing, Birch Run, Clam Lake Township near Cadillac and Clinton Township near Mt. Clemens (509,777 signatures submitted). 
• Protect Our Jobs, the major union-sponsored proposal, would prohibit the Legislature and Governor from setting regulations that affect collective bargaining agreements between public sector unions and their employers (except to bar strikes by public employees (684,286 signatures submitted). 
• Michigan Energy Michigan Jobs is a proposal supported by a segment of environmentalists, a few labor organizations and the makers of solar and wind-energy equipment to require that 25% of the state's energy be produced from renewable sources by 2025 (530,000 signatures submitted). 
• Michigan Alliance for Prosperity is a proposal backed by national limited government organization and tea party groups to require two-thirds votes in both chambers of the Legislature, or by the people, to enact any state tax increase (613,379 signatures submitted). 
• The People Should Decide was organized by the owners of the Ambassador Bridge to block the proposed New International Trade Crossing over the Detroit River. Governor Snyder has indicated that the proposal could not retroactively deconstruct the inter-local agreement already in place with Canada (609,220 signatures submitted).
• Citizens for Affordable Quality Home Care is backed by the Service Employees International Union and disability rights advocates to require Michigan to construct a registry of home health care workers and maintain the union that represents them (550,000 signatures submitted).