January 27, 2015, Introduced by Rep. Yanez and referred to the Committee on Elections.
A bill to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled
"Michigan election law,"
by amending section 659 (MCL 168.659), as amended by 2014 PA 94.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 659. (1) If a county, city, ward, township, village,
metropolitan district, or school district is divided into 2 or more
election precincts, the county, city, ward, township, or village
election commissioners may, by resolution, consolidate the election
precincts for a particular election that is not a general November
election, primary election immediately before a general November
election,
or other statewide or federal election. In making the
determination to consolidate election precincts for a particular
election, the election commission shall take into consideration the
number of choices the voter must make, the percentage of registered
voters who voted at the last similar election in the jurisdiction,
and the intensity of the interest of the electors in the
jurisdiction concerning the candidates and proposals to be voted
upon. Consolidated precincts shall not exceed 5,000 active
registered electors.
(2) A consolidation under this section shall be made not less
than 60 days before a primary, general, or special election.
(3) Unless the polling places for the election precincts to be
consolidated are located in the same building, when a county, city,
ward, township, or village consolidates election precincts for a
particular election under subsection (1), the election
commissioners or other designated election officials shall do both
of the following:
(a) Provide notice to the registered electors of the affected
election precincts of the consolidation of election precincts for
the particular election and the location of the polling place for
the election precinct or precincts for that election. Notice may be
provided by mail or other method designed to provide actual notice
to the registered electors.
(b) Post a written notice at each election precinct polling
place stating the location of the consolidated election precinct
polling place.
(4) If a county, city, ward, township, or village consolidates
election precincts under this section, each affected election
precinct shall be treated as a whole unit and shall not be divided
during the consolidation.