SENATE BILL No. 639

 

 

September 13, 2011, Introduced by Senators KAHN, GREEN, COLBECK, SCHUITMAKER, WALKER, BRANDENBURG and PAPPAGEORGE and referred to the Committee on Local Government and Elections.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled

 

"Michigan election law,"

 

by amending sections 59, 75, and 169 (MCL 168.59, 168.75, and

 

168.169), section 169 as amended by 1990 PA 7, and by adding

 

sections 696a, 696b, and 696c.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 59. (1) When the If a candidate of a political party,

 

after having been nominated to the office of governor, shall die,

 

withdraw as provided in section 58, of this act, remove from the

 

state, or become disqualified for any reason, the state central

 

committee of such that political party shall meet forthwith and by

 

a majority vote of the members thereof shall select a candidate to

 

fill the vacancy. thereby caused. The name of the candidate so

 


selected shall be immediately certified by the chairman chairperson

 

and the secretary of said the committee to the secretary of state

 

and to the board of election commissioners for each county , whose

 

duty it is to prepare the official ballots. , and said Except as

 

otherwise provided in subsection (2), the board shall cause to be

 

printed or placed upon such the ballots in the proper place the

 

name of the candidate so selected and certified to fill such the

 

vacancy.

 

     (2) Not later than 7 days after the name of the candidate

 

selected to fill the vacancy is certified under this section, that

 

candidate shall provide to the secretary of state satisfactory

 

evidence of United States citizenship as provided in section 696a.

 

If the candidate selected to fill the vacancy fails to comply with

 

the requirement of this subsection, the secretary of state shall

 

not certify that candidate's name for printing on the general

 

November election ballot.

 

     Sec. 75. (1) When If a candidate of a political party, after

 

having been nominated to the office of lieutenant governor,

 

secretary of state, or attorney general, shall die, withdraw,

 

remove from the state, or become disqualified for any reason, the

 

state central committee of such that political party shall meet

 

forthwith and by a majority vote of the members thereof shall

 

select a candidate to fill the vacancy. thereby caused. The name of

 

the candidate so selected shall be immediately certified by the

 

chairman chairperson and the secretary of said the committee to the

 

secretary of state and to the board of election commissioners for

 

each county whose duty it is to prepare the official ballots. and

 


said Except as otherwise provided in subsection (2), the board

 

shall cause to be printed or placed upon said the ballots, in the

 

proper place, the name of the candidate so selected to fill the

 

vacancy.

 

     (2) Not later than 7 days after the name of the candidate

 

selected to fill the vacancy is certified under this section, that

 

candidate shall provide to the secretary of state satisfactory

 

evidence of United States citizenship as provided in section 696b.

 

If the candidate selected to fill the vacancy fails to comply with

 

the requirement of this subsection, the secretary of state shall

 

not certify that candidate's name for printing on the general

 

November election ballot.

 

     Sec. 169. (1) When the If a candidate of a political party,

 

after having been nominated to the office of state senator or

 

representative, shall die, be certified by a state convention for a

 

statewide office, withdraw from the district, become physically

 

unfit, or become disqualified for any reason, the members residing

 

within said that senatorial or representative district of the

 

county executive committees of such that candidate's political

 

party for the counties comprising said the senatorial or

 

representative district shall meet at a time and place designated

 

by the chairperson of the state central committee of such the

 

political party and notice of such the meeting shall be sent to all

 

such members of the county executive committees. The meeting shall

 

be conducted by the secretary of the state central committee or his

 

or her duly authorized agent, but said the secretary or agent shall

 

not be privileged to vote at such the meeting. A candidate to fill

 


the vacancy shall be selected by a majority vote of the committee

 

members present and voting. : Provided, That if such If a vacancy

 

occurs in a senatorial or representative district wholly within 1

 

county, a candidate to fill the vacancy shall be selected by the

 

county executive committee of the county by a majority vote

 

thereof. The name of the candidate so selected shall be certified

 

immediately by the chairperson and the secretary of said the

 

committee to the secretary of state in those districts comprising 2

 

or more counties and to the county clerk in those districts

 

contained within 1 county. The certification shall be sent in any

 

case to the board of election commissioners for each county , whose

 

duty it is to prepare the official ballots. ; and said Except as

 

otherwise provided in subsection (2), the board shall cause to be

 

printed or placed upon such the ballots, in the proper place, the

 

name of the candidate so selected and certified to fill such the

 

vacancy.

 

     (2) Not later than 7 days after the name of the candidate

 

selected to fill the vacancy is certified under this section, that

 

candidate shall provide satisfactory evidence of United States

 

citizenship as provided in section 696c. If the candidate selected

 

to fill the vacancy fails to comply with the requirement of this

 

subsection, that candidate's name shall not be certified for

 

printing on the general November election ballot.

 

     Sec. 696a. (1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (3),

 

at least 70 days before each general November election in which a

 

governor is to be elected, each candidate for governor who wants to

 

have his or her name printed on the general November election

 


ballot shall provide to the secretary of state satisfactory

 

evidence of United States citizenship indicating that the candidate

 

is a citizen of the United States. Satisfactory evidence of United

 

States citizenship means the candidate provides 1 or more of the

 

following:

 

     (a) The candidate's enhanced driver license number or enhanced

 

official state personal identification card number issued by the

 

department of state under the enhanced driver license and enhanced

 

official state personal identification card act, 2008 PA 23, MCL

 

28.301 to 28.308, or the equivalent department of another state if

 

that department indicates on the candidate's enhanced driver

 

license or enhanced official state personal identification card

 

that the person has provided satisfactory evidence of United States

 

citizenship.

 

     (b) A certified copy of the candidate's birth certificate.

 

     (c) The candidate's United States passport.

 

     (d) The candidate's United States naturalization documents or

 

the number of the certificate of naturalization. If only the number

 

of the certificate of naturalization is provided, the secretary of

 

state shall verify the number of the certificate of naturalization

 

with the United States immigration and naturalization service.

 

     (2) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (3), if a

 

candidate for governor does not comply with the requirement of

 

subsection (1), that candidate is disqualified as a candidate for

 

governor for that election and the secretary of state shall not

 

certify that candidate's name for printing on the general November

 

election ballot.

 


     (3) The requirement under subsection (1) for a candidate to

 

provide satisfactory evidence of United States citizenship only

 

applies to a candidate who is a candidate for governor for the

 

first time.

 

     Sec. 696b. (1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (3),

 

not later than 7 days after the conclusion of a political party's

 

fall state convention held before each general November election in

 

which a governor is to be elected, each candidate for lieutenant

 

governor, secretary of state, and attorney general of that

 

political party who wants to have his or her name printed on the

 

general November election ballot shall provide to the secretary of

 

state satisfactory evidence of United States citizenship indicating

 

that the candidate is a citizen of the United States. Satisfactory

 

evidence of United States citizenship means the candidate provides

 

1 or more of the following:

 

     (a) The candidate's enhanced driver license number or enhanced

 

official state personal identification card number issued by the

 

department of state under the enhanced driver license and enhanced

 

official state personal identification card act, 2008 PA 23, MCL

 

28.301 to 28.308, or the equivalent department of another state if

 

that department indicates on the candidate's enhanced driver

 

license or enhanced official state personal identification card

 

that the person has provided satisfactory evidence of United States

 

citizenship.

 

     (b) A certified copy of the candidate's birth certificate.

 

     (c) The candidate's United States passport.

 

     (d) The candidate's United States naturalization documents or

 


the number of the certificate of naturalization. If only the number

 

of the certificate of naturalization is provided, the secretary of

 

state shall verify the number of the certificate of naturalization

 

with the United States immigration and naturalization service.

 

     (2) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (3), if a

 

candidate for lieutenant governor, secretary of state, or attorney

 

general does not comply with the requirement of subsection (1),

 

that candidate is disqualified as a candidate for lieutenant

 

governor, secretary of state, or attorney general for that election

 

and the secretary of state shall not certify that candidate's name

 

for printing on the general November election ballot.

 

     (3) The requirement under subsection (1) for a candidate to

 

provide satisfactory evidence of United States citizenship only

 

applies to a candidate who is a candidate for lieutenant governor,

 

secretary of state, or attorney general for the first time.

 

     Sec. 696c. (1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (3),

 

at least 70 days before each general November election, each

 

candidate for state senator or state representative who wants to

 

have his or her name printed on the general November election

 

ballot shall provide satisfactory evidence of United States

 

citizenship indicating that the candidate is a citizen of the

 

United States as required under section 7 of article IV of the

 

state constitution of 1963. If the candidate's district comprises

 

more than 1 county, the satisfactory evidence of United States

 

citizenship shall be provided to the secretary of state. If the

 

candidate's district comprises 1 county or less, the satisfactory

 

evidence of Untied States citizenship shall be provided to the

 


county clerk of that county. Satisfactory evidence of United States

 

citizenship means the candidate provides 1 or more of the

 

following:

 

     (a) The candidate's enhanced driver license number or enhanced

 

official state personal identification card number issued by the

 

department of state under the enhanced driver license and enhanced

 

official state personal identification card act, 2008 PA 23, MCL

 

28.301 to 28.308, or the equivalent department of another state if

 

that department indicates on the candidate's enhanced driver

 

license or enhanced official state personal identification card

 

that the person has provided satisfactory evidence of United States

 

citizenship.

 

     (b) A certified copy of the candidate's birth certificate.

 

     (c) The candidate's United States passport.

 

     (d) The candidate's United States naturalization documents or

 

the number of the certificate of naturalization. If only the number

 

of the certificate of naturalization is provided, the official with

 

whom the satisfactory evidence of United States citizenship is

 

provided shall verify the number of the certificate of

 

naturalization with the United States immigration and

 

naturalization service.

 

     (2) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (3), if a

 

candidate for state senator or state representative does not comply

 

with the requirement of subsection (1), that candidate is

 

disqualified as a candidate for state senator or state

 

representative for that election and that candidate's name shall

 

not be certified for printing on the general November election

 


ballot.

 

     (3) The requirement under subsection (1) for a candidate to

 

provide satisfactory evidence of United States citizenship only

 

applies to a candidate who is a candidate for state senator or

 

state representative for the first time.