February 13, 2018, Introduced by Reps. Webber, Calley, Crawford, Marino, Lucido, Chang, Brann, Leutheuser, Lilly, Sheppard and Zemke and referred to the Committee on Elections and Ethics.
A bill to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled
"Michigan election law,"
by amending sections 509m, 509t, 509v, and 509x (MCL 168.509m,
168.509t, 168.509v, and 168.509x), section 509m as amended by 2005
PA 71, section 509t as amended by 2004 PA 92, and sections 509v and
509x as added by 1994 PA 441.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 509m. (1) The purposes of this section and sections 509n
to
509hh 509ii are all of the following:
(a) To establish a statewide qualified voter file that
consists of all qualified electors who wish to be registered to
vote in local, state, and federal elections.
(b) To enhance the uniformity of the administration of
elections by creating and maintaining a statewide qualified voter
file.
(c) To increase the efficiency and decrease the public cost of
maintaining voter registration files and implementing the national
voter registration act of 1993.
(d) To increase the integrity of the voting process by
creating a single qualified voter file that will permit the name of
each citizen of this state to appear only once and that is compiled
from other state files that require citizens to verify their
identity and residence.
(e) To apply technology and information gathered by principal
executive departments, state agencies, and county, city, township,
and village clerks in a manner that ensures that accurate and
current records of qualified voters are maintained.
(2)
As used in sections 509n to 509hh:509ii:
(a) "Designated voter registration agency" means an office
designated under section 509u to perform voter registration
activities in this state.
(b) "Qualified voter file" means the statewide qualified voter
file established according to section 509o.
Sec. 509t. (1) Notwithstanding another provision of law to the
contrary, a person who is a qualified elector in this state and who
registers to vote in a manner consistent with the national voter
registration act of 1993 is considered a registered voter under
this act.
(2) A person who registers to vote in a jurisdiction in this
state by mail or, beginning January 1, 2019, by submitting an
electronic voter registration application shall vote in person and
shall provide identification as required under section 303(b) of
the
help America vote act of 2002, 42 USC 15483, 52 USC 21083, if
that person has not previously voted in person in this state. This
subsection does not apply to any of the following registered
voters:
(a) A person who has registered to vote in a jurisdiction in
this state in person.
(b) (a)
A person entitled to vote by
absentee ballot under the
uniformed and overseas citizens absentee voting act.
(c) (b)
A person who has a disability as that term is defined
in section 103 of the persons with disabilities civil rights act,
1976 PA 220, MCL 37.1103, or, for purposes of voting in person
only, a person who is 60 years of age or older.
(d) (c)
A person who is entitled to vote
other than in person
under any other federal law.
(3) This section does not preclude this state from prosecuting
a violation of this act that is also a violation of a federal
election or voting rights law.
Sec. 509v. (1) A person who is not registered to vote at the
address where he or she resides may apply to register to vote by
submitting an application at any of the following locations:
(a) The office of the clerk of a county or the office of the
clerk of the city or township in which the applicant resides,
during regular office hours of that clerk.
(b) A department of state office.
(c) A designated voter registration agency when submitting an
application, recertification, renewal, or change of address at the
voter registration agency.
(2) A person who is not registered to vote at the address
where he or she resides may apply for registration by submitting a
completed mail registration application. A person may request a
mail registration application from and submit the application to
any of the following:
(a) The secretary of state.
(b) The clerk of the county, city, or township in which the
applicant resides.
(c) A designated voter registration agency.
(3) Beginning January 1, 2019, a person who is not registered
to vote at the address where he or she resides may apply to
register to vote by submitting an electronic voter registration
application as provided in section 509ii.
Sec.
509x. An application for registration is considered to be
received
on or before the close of registration
, if 1 of the
following requirements is met:
(a) An application is received at a department of state
office, a designated voter registration agency, or the office of a
county, city, or township clerk on or before the close of
registration.
(b) An application is received through the mail that is
postmarked on or before the close of registration.
(c) An application is received through the mail on or before
the seventh day immediately following the close of registration, if
the postmark is missing or is unclear and the application, on its
face, is dated by the applicant on or before the close of
registration. The clerk shall consider an application received
pursuant
to under this subdivision as received before the close of
registration.
(d) Beginning January 1, 2019, an application is submitted
electronically through the electronic voter registration interface
on or before the close of registration.
Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect 90 days
after the date it is enacted into law.
Enacting section 2. This amendatory act does not take effect
unless Senate Bill No.____ or House Bill No. 5548 (request no.
04874'17) of the 99th Legislature is enacted into law.