HOUSE BILL No. 6001

 

June 9, 2004, Introduced by Rep. Milosch and referred to the Committee on Local Government and Urban Policy.

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "Michigan election law,"                                                    

                                                                                

    by amending section 659 (MCL 168.659), as added by 2003 PA 302.             

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 659.  (1) If a county, city, ward, township, village,                  

                                                                                

2   or school district is divided into 2 or more election precincts,            

                                                                                

3   the county, city, ward, township, or village election                       

                                                                                

4   commissioners may, by resolution, consolidate the election                  

                                                                                

5   precincts for a particular election that is not a general                   

                                                                                

6   November election, primary election immediately before a general            

                                                                                

7   November election, or other statewide or federal election.  In              

                                                                                

8   making the determination to consolidate election precincts for a            

                                                                                

9   particular election, the election commission shall take into                

                                                                                

10  consideration the number of choices the voter must make, the                

                                                                                

11  percentage of registered voters who voted at the last similar               

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   election in the jurisdiction, and the intensity of the interest             

                                                                                

2   of the electors in the jurisdiction concerning the candidates and           

                                                                                

3   proposals to be voted upon.  In case of a conflict between this             

                                                                                

4   section and section 661 regarding the population of precincts,              

                                                                                

5   this section shall control.                                                 

                                                                                

6       (2) A consolidation under this section shall be made not less               

                                                                                

7   than 60 days before a primary, general, or special election.                

                                                                                

8       (3) Unless the polling places for the election precincts to                 

                                                                                

9   be consolidated are located in the same building, when a county,            

                                                                                

10  city, ward, township, or village consolidates election precincts            

                                                                                

11  for a particular election under subsection (1), the election                

                                                                                

12  commissioners or other designated election officials shall do               

                                                                                

13  both of the following:                                                      

                                                                                

14      (a) Provide notice to the registered electors of the affected               

                                                                                

15  election precincts of the consolidation of election precincts for           

                                                                                

16  the particular election and the location of the polling place for           

                                                                                

17  the election precinct or precincts for that election.  Notice may           

                                                                                

18  be provided by mail or other method designed to provide actual              

                                                                                

19  notice to the registered electors.                                          

                                                                                

20      (b) Post a written notice at each election precinct polling                 

                                                                                

21  place stating the location of the consolidated election precinct            

                                                                                

22  polling place.                                                              

                                                                                

23      (4) If a county, city, ward, township, or village                           

                                                                                

24  consolidates election precincts under this section, each affected           

                                                                                

25  election precinct shall be treated as a whole unit and shall not            

                                                                                

26  be divided during the consolidation.