SCHOOL ELECTIONS - S.B. 224: FLOOR ANALYSIS

Senate Bill 224 (as reported with amendment)

Sponsor: Senator Loren Bennett

Committee: Government Operations

CONTENT

The bill would amend the Michigan Election Law to provide for the conduct of school elections by local units of government. The bill is tie-barred to Senate Bills 202 and 207. Senate Bill 202 would amend the Revised School Code to repeal, on January 1, 2002, parts of the Code that provide for the administration and operation of elections by school districts; and specify that a school district's regular election or a special election would be administered and conducted as provided in the Michigan Election Law (i.e., school elections would be conducted by local units of government, and not by school districts). Senate Bill 207 would amend the Michigan Election Law to place in the Election Law provisions for conducting school elections.

Senate Bill 224 provides that a township, city, or village board of election commissioners would have to cause the ballots for any regular or special school election to be printed and delivered to the appropriate local unit at least 10 days before the election; require that recall petitions for school board members be signed by registered electors; and eliminate a requirement that a clerk of a city or township transmit to the secretary of a school district information on the registration application of persons residing in the district. Further, the bill would eliminate current provisions that allow a voter's registration card to be signed in a school district's or secretary's office; allow a school district or ISD to use a registration list instead of the precinct registration file when a file is required; require the clerk of a local unit to notify a school district of a voter's canceled registration; and require the Secretary of State to instruct school officials regarding voter registration procedures.

MCL 168.30a et al. - Legislative Analyst: G. Towne

FISCAL IMPACT

Senate Bills 207 and 224 would have no fiscal impact on State government.

The bills could result in savings to school districts by requiring school board elections to take place at November general elections and coordinating special school elections with local units of government. Savings would depend on agreements between local units of government and school boards on what constituted valid costs of conducting elections compared with costs under the current system. Senate Bill 207 provides that if a special school election called by a school board were not held in conjunction with any other election held in the county, city, or township, the school district would have to pay 105% of the actual costs of conducting the election.

There are 555 K-12 school districts and 57 intermediate school districts in Michigan. There were 1,074 school millage elections in 1994 and 641 school millage elections in 1995.

Date Completed: 11-24-97 - Fiscal Analyst: E. Pratt

- B. Bowerman

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This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.