"POST OFFICE" ADDRESS
House Bill 5466 (Substitute H-1)
First Analysis (2-12-02)
Sponsor: Rep. Andrew Richner
Committee: Redistricting and Elections
At a number of places in the Michigan Election Law, the "post office" address of a candidate, or petition circulator, or voter signing a petition is required to be listed. This is said to be an outmoded requirement that confuses people. Some people do not know what "post office" they are connected to, but leaving the information off a petition, for example, could lead to signatures not being counted. Legislation has been introduced that would delete this obsolete requirement and instead require, where appropriate, the listing of a person's address, including the zip code.
THE CONTENT OF THE BILL:
At a number of places in the Michigan Election Law the "post office addresses" of candidates or voters are required to be listed. House Bill 5466 would amend several sections of the law to delete the reference to "post office". The bill would take effect January 1, 2003.
Generally speaking, in the case of candidate petitions, the bill would require the zip code to be included with the address of the candidate, the circulator, or elector signing the petition instead of the post office. However, the bill would specify that the failure of a candidate petition circulator or an elector signing a candidate petition to enter a zip code or the failure to enter the correct zip code would not affect the validity of the signature of the circulator or elector.
Section 46 deals with the certification of electors of President and Vice-President by the governor; Section 544c with nominating petitions for primary elections; Section 552 with the certification of candidates by county clerk, city clerk, or secretary of state; Section 590f with the certification of candidates without party affiliation filing qualifying petitions; Section 590h with the nature of the qualifying petition to be submitted by a candidate without party affiliation; and Section 759 with the address to which an absentee ballot is to be sent (where the zip code would be included).
For example, Section 544c specifies the form for partisan nominating petitions and requires that street address or rural route and post office of the candidate, the petition circulator, and the elector signing the petition. The bill would delete the requirement for the post office, although it would add a requirement that the zip code be listed. Section 552, to cite another example, requires the county or city clerk to certify to the proper board or boards of election commissioners the name and post office address of each party candidate whose petitions meet the requirements of the act. The bill would delete "post office" and simply require a candidate's name and address.
MCL 168.46 et al.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The House Fiscal Agency reports that the bill could result in minimal costs for reprinting nominating petitions and certificates of circulator forms but the amount is indeterminate. (HFA fiscal note dated 1-30-02)
ARGUMENTS:
For:
The bill would eliminate a requirement described as obsolete, namely that people list their "post office" on various election-related forms. Instead, in most cases, the bill would require the listing of a full address, including zip code. The bill would, however, make it clear that the failure to list a zip code or to list the proper zip code would not invalidate a petition.
POSITIONS:
The Department of State supports the bill. (2-7-02)
The Michigan Association of County Clerks has indicated support for the bill. (2-7-02)
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This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.