Backers of an effort to protect gay, bisexual and transgender people in Michigan will begin collecting signatures in January to put the question before voters after winning regulatory approval.

According to the Detroit Free Press, the Michigan Board of State Canvassers on Tuesday approved the form and wording of a petition promoted by Fair Michigan.

About 315,000 valid signatures must be submitted by July 11 for the petition to reach the November 2016 ballot.

If approved by voters next year, the Michigan Constitution would be amended to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and sex.

Equality Michigan and the American Civil Liberties Union oppose the approach because of the possibility voters will defeat it.

“The whole LGBT movement is pretty united on that path [of lobbying lawmakers],” Equality Michigan Executive Director Steph White told the AP. “None of the [poll] numbers I've seen indicate any hope for this to win.”