LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Presidential candidates aren't the only ones hoping for support Tuesday at polling places across Michigan.

Backers of health care reform, a part-time Legislature and more voter control over tax increases will be outside polling places collecting signatures for ballot measures they hope to put before voters in November.

Thousands of union members also are prepared to show up at polling places to discourage voters from signing petitions that would lead to a ballot issue on whether Michigan should become a "right-to-work" state, which would let employees work in unionized shops without having to join the union. But it doesn't appear a right-to-work drive will materialize this year.

The election is a prime time to launch petition drives because it attracts what organizers need most: registered voters.

More than 380,000 valid signatures from voters must be collected within a six-month window to put proposals to change the state constitution before voters. Organizers generally want to collect at least 500,000 signatures to account for duplicate signatures or signatures from people who aren't among the state's 7.1 million registered voters.

"It's an opportunity that's too good to pass up. Rather than having to go out and find people, people are coming to you," said John Freeman, a former state representative who leads the Healthcare for Michigan Ballot Committee.

His proposal would require the Legislature to pass laws ensuring every state citizen has affordable and comprehensive health care coverage.

Two other ballot drives — one to create a part-time Legislature and another that would let voters repeal higher taxes passed by lawmakers and the governor — are being led by the same people.

"We're hoping we'll have a lot of volunteers at the polls to get this done," said Gregory Schmid, a Saginaw attorney who is heading the People's Choice Tax Repeal Committee and Part-Time Legislature Committee.

One proposal would cut legislators' salaries in half to $40,000, deduct $400 for each day of work missed and require the Legislature, which is in session year-round, to start working in March and finish by July 1.

The other measure would set a statewide referendum in February 2009 for voters to approve or reject recent increases in the state income tax and businesses taxes. Similar referendums would be held automatically after future tax hikes.

Collecting enough signatures won't be easy. Organizers need to collect an average of 2,112 valid signatures every day over a six-month period to meet their goal. Signature collectors typically visit malls, festivals and other places that attract crowds.

The ballot campaigns plan to stick with volunteer signature collectors for now. Schmid said backers of a 2004 gay marriage ban proved that volunteer-based, grass-roots petition drives can be successful, although other petition drives have paid collectors for each signature gathered.

"We have two issues that are easy to understand and hard not to love," Schmid said.

Freeman said that, at some point, the health care group may pay people to gather signatures.

The health care effort is supported by AARP Michigan, the Michigan Osteopathic Association, some labor unions and Gov. Jennifer Granholm, among others. It has drawn concern from business groups who say the proposal is vague and could take years to define through court fights. But Freeman dismisses the criticisms.

"Health care is something that's first and foremost on people's minds," he said. "I think we'll have no problem getting people to sign."

The Michigan AFL-CIO has been training thousands of volunteers to visit polling places Tuesday and urge voters to not sign the right-to-work petitions. If there are no right-to-work petitions, labor volunteers will be free to tell voters about the merits of the health care proposal and possibly collect signatures.

Amy Hagerstrom, who directs the Michigan chapter of Americans for Prosperity, said making Michigan a right-to-work state is critical for job growth. She added, however, that the group is not collecting signatures for a petition drive.

She said the group is taking a "measured approach" in its efforts to make Michigan — the birthplace of the United Auto Workers union — a right-to-work state. If right-to-work advocates are to make a serious push, they likely will wait until 2010, a non-presidential election year that's expected to draw fewer union voters.