Substitute For
HOUSE BILL NO. 4128
A bill to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled
"Michigan election law,"
by amending section 509bb (MCL 168.509bb), as added by 1994 PA 441.
the people of the state of michigan enact:
Sec. 509bb. (1) A Except as otherwise provided in this act, a clerk shall not cancel or cause the cancellation of the registration of a voter an elector from the registration record of the city or township based solely upon on that registered voter's elector's failure to vote.
(2) For each registered elector who has not voted since the 2000 general November election, the secretary of state shall, not later than 90 days after the effective date of the amendatory act that added this subsection, send by forwardable mail both of the following to the elector:
(a) A postage prepaid and preaddressed return card to the appropriate city or township clerk on which the elector may verify his or her current address information and on which the elector must sign his or her name.
(b) A notice that contains the following statement:
"Secretary of state records indicate that you have not voted since the 2000 general November election. To confirm your status as a registered voter, please complete, sign, and return the enclosed card providing your current address to the appropriate city or township clerk at least 15 days before the next election. If you do not complete, sign, and return the enclosed card to the appropriate city or township clerk at least 15 days before the next election, you will be required to affirm your current address at the polls before you are permitted to vote. To keep your status as a registered voter, you must respond to this notice, vote, or engage in voting-related activity, including, but not limited to, requesting an absent voter ballot application or updating your voter registration, by the first business day after the second general November election that is held after the date on this notice."
(3) Upon receipt of a return card under subsection (2) from an elector, the appropriate city or township clerk shall compare the signature on the return card to the signature for that elector on the qualified voter file. If the signature on the return card and the signature for that elector on the qualified voter file do not match, the city or township clerk shall identify the registration record of that elector as challenged as provided in this act. The city or township clerk shall notify the elector that his or her signature on the return card did not match the signature for that elector on the qualified voter file and that his or her registration record is considered challenged. The notice to the elector under this subsection must include the steps the elector must take in order to no longer have his or her registration record considered to be challenged.
(4) If a notice sent under subsection (2) is returned to the secretary of state by the post office as undeliverable, the secretary of state shall identify the registration record of that elector as challenged as provided in this act. If the elector does not vote or engage in voting-related activity by the first business day after the second general November election that is held after the date on the notice, the secretary of state shall cancel the registration of that elector and notify the appropriate city or township clerk of the cancellation.