Act No. 295

Public Acts of 2004

Approved by the Governor

July 23, 2004

Filed with the Secretary of State

July 23, 2004

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 23, 2004

STATE OF MICHIGAN

92ND LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2004

Introduced by Rep. Accavitti

ENROLLED HOUSE BILL No. 6000

AN ACT to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled "An act to reorganize, consolidate, and add to the election laws; to provide for election officials and prescribe their powers and duties; to prescribe the powers and duties of certain state departments, state agencies, and state and local officials and employees; to provide for the nomination and election of candidates for public office; to provide for the resignation, removal, and recall of certain public officers; to provide for the filling of vacancies in public office; to provide for and regulate primaries and elections; to provide for the purity of elections; to guard against the abuse of the elective franchise; to define violations of this act; to provide appropriations; to prescribe penalties and provide remedies; and to repeal certain acts and all other acts inconsistent with this act," by amending section 646a (MCL 168.646a), as amended by 2003 PA 302.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 646a. (1) If a local officer is to be elected at a general November election, candidates for the local office shall be nominated in the manner provided by law or charter, subject to sections 641 and 642. If candidates for the local office are to be nominated at caucuses, the caucuses shall be held on a date before the date set for the primary election or on the Saturday before the day of the primary election as determined by the local legislative body at least 20 days before the date of the caucus. If candidates are nominated by filing petitions or affidavits, they shall be filed at a time provided by charter, but not later than the date of the primary. Except as provided in section 642, the local primary election shall be held on the same day as a state or county primary election. If a state or county primary is being held on the same day, the last day for local candidates to file nominating petitions is the same as the last date to file petitions for state and county offices. The names of all local candidates and titles of office shall be certified to the county clerk by the local clerk within 5 days after the last day for filing petitions, and certification of nominees shall be made to that clerk within 5 days after the date on which the primary or caucus was held.

(2) If a local, school district, or county ballot question is to be voted on at a regular election date or special election, the ballot wording of the ballot question shall be certified to the local or county clerk at least 70 days before the election. If the wording is certified to a clerk other than the county clerk, the clerk shall certify the ballot wording to the county clerk at least 68 days before the election. If a local, school district, or county ballot question is to be voted on at a regular election date or special election at which no state or federal offices are to be voted for, the ballot wording of the ballot question shall be certified to the local or county clerk responsible for printing the ballots at least 60 days before the election date. Petitions to place a county or local ballot question on the ballot at the election shall be filed with the clerk at least 14 days before the date the ballot wording must be certified to the local clerk.

(3) The provisions of this section apply notwithstanding any provisions of law or charter to the contrary, unless an earlier date for the filing of affidavits or petitions, including nominating petitions, is provided in a law or charter, in which case the earlier filing date is controlling.

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

Clerk of the House of Representatives

Secretary of the Senate

Approved

Governor