POLLING PLACES/NOMINEES - H.B. 5054 (H-1): FLOOR ANALYSIS



House Bill 5054 (Substitute H-1 as reported by the Committee of the Whole)

Sponsor: Representative Mickey Mortimer

House Committee: Constitutional Law and Ethics

Senate Committee: Government Operations


CONTENT


The bill would amend the Michigan Election Law to do the following:


-- Prohibit the legislative body of a city, village, or township from establishing, moving, or abolishing a polling place less than 60 days before an election unless necessary because a polling place had been damaged, destroyed, or rendered inaccessible or unusable as a polling place.

-- Revise the deadline for reporting the names of nominees to the Secretary of State, generally by referring to "1 business day" rather than "24 hours" after a convention.

-- Revise the deadline for a nominee to file notice of withdrawal.

-- Require counties, townships, cities, and villages to give their clerks a permanent postal mailing address, require counties to give their clerks an electronic mailing address, and require the clerks to notify the Secretary of State of the addresses.

-- Revise provisions concerning a recount for the office of Representative in Congress, State Senator, or State Representative.

-- Require the Secretary of State to report every two years to the Legislature on the Qualified Voter File.

-- Repeal a section requiring the Secretary of State to convene an advisory committee to review Michigan's voter registration system each odd-numbered year.

-- Allow a new city or village, established due to a consolidation of existing cities or villages, to change the date of a city or village election under certain conditions.


MCL 168.2 et al. - Legislative Analyst: G. Towne


FISCAL IMPACT


The provisions of the bill relating to recounting could add to administrative costs to the State. However, these costs would be imposed on the State only in the event that a recount was requested.


Date Completed: 12-7-99 - Fiscal Analyst: E. LimbsFloor\hb5054 - Bill Analysis @ http://www.state.mi.us/sfa

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.