March 21, 2007, Introduced by Reps. Ward and LaJoy and referred to the Committee on Ethics and Elections.
A bill to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled
"Michigan election law,"
by amending section 509aa (MCL 168.509aa), as amended by 2004 PA
92.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 509aa. (1) A clerk may use change of address information
supplied by the United States postal service or other reliable
information received by the clerk that identifies registered voters
whose addresses may have changed as provided in this section.
(2) Upon receipt of reliable information that a registered
voter has moved his or her residence within the city or township,
the clerk shall send by forwardable mail all of the following to
the voter:
(a) A notice that the clerk has received information
indicating that the voter has moved his or her residence within the
city or township.
(b) A postage prepaid and preaddressed return card on which
the voter may verify or correct the address information.
(c) A notice explaining that, if the address information is
correct and the voter has moved his or her residence within the
city or township, the voter should complete and return the card to
the clerk with a postmark of 30 days or more before the date of the
next election. If the voter has moved his or her residence within
the city or township and does not complete and return the card to
the clerk with a postmark of 30 days or more before the date of the
next election, the voter will be required to vote in his or her
former precinct of residence in the city or township. The voter
will also be required to submit an address correction before being
permitted to vote.
(3) Upon the receipt of reliable information that a registered
voter has moved his or her residence to another city or township,
the clerk shall send by forwardable mail all of the following to
the voter:
(a) A notice that the clerk has received information
indicating that the voter has moved his or her residence to another
city or township.
(b) A postage prepaid and preaddressed return card on which
the voter may verify or correct the address information.
(c) A notice containing all of the following information:
(i) If the address information is incorrect and the voter has
not moved to another city or township and wishes to remain
registered to vote, the voter should complete and return the card
to the clerk with a postmark of 30 days or more before the date of
the next election. If the card is not completed and returned with a
postmark of 30 days or more before the date of the next election,
the voter may be required to affirm his or her current address
before being permitted to vote. Further, if the voter does not vote
in an election within the period beginning on the date of the
notice
and ending on the first business day January 10 immediately
following the second November general election that is held after
the date on the notice, the registration of the voter will be
canceled and his or her name will be removed from the registration
record of that city or township.
(ii) If the voter has moved his or her residence to another
city or township, information on how the voter can become
registered to vote at the next election in his or her new city or
township.
(4) If a notice sent under this section is returned to the
clerk by the post office as undeliverable, the clerk shall identify
the registration record of a voter as challenged as provided in
this act. The clerk shall instruct the board of election inspectors
to challenge that voter at the first election at which the voter
appears to vote. If in response to the challenge the voter
indicates that he or she resides at the registration address or has
changed addresses within the city or township, the voter shall be
permitted to vote a regular ballot rather than a challenged ballot.
The voter shall complete a change of address form at the polling
place, if applicable. If the person does not appear to vote in an
election within the period beginning on the date of the notice and
ending
on the first business day January
10 immediately following
the second November general election that is held after the date of
the notice, the clerk shall cancel the registration of the voter
and remove his or her name from the registration record of the city
or township.
(5) The secretary of state shall create an inactive voter file
in the qualified voter file. The inactive voter file shall contain
a record for each voter who is sent a notice under this section.
(6) The record of a voter shall remain in the inactive voter
file until the voter votes at an election, until the voter corrects
or confirms his or her voter registration address, or until January
10 immediately following the second November general election that
is held after the date on the notice sent under this section,
whichever occurs first.
(7) If a voter remains in the inactive voter file on January
10 immediately following the second November general election that
is held after the date on the notice sent under this section, the
registration of the voter shall be canceled as provided in
subsection (3).
(8) While the record of a voter is in the inactive voter file,
the voter remains eligible to vote and his or her name shall appear
on the precinct voter registration list.
(9) The record of a voter in the inactive voter file shall not
be counted for purposes of section 4(e), 24a, 381, 656, 658, 659,
661, or 796a or R 168.774 of the Michigan administrative code.