February 8, 2011, Introduced by Senators BIEDA, HUNTER, HOPGOOD, KOWALL, ANDERSON, SMITH, GLEASON, NOFS, MOOLENAAR, WHITMER, GREGORY, JOHNSON, WARREN, SCHUITMAKER, YOUNG, JANSEN, PROOS, KAHN, MEEKHOF, CASPERSON and PAPPAGEORGE and referred to the Committee on Local Government and Elections.
A bill to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled
"Michigan election law,"
(MCL 168.1 to 168.992) by adding section 496a.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 496a. (1) A person may preregister to vote at a secretary
of state office if he or she meets all of the following
requirements:
(a) Is at least 16 years of age but less than 17-1/2 years of
age.
(b) Has been issued either a graduated licensing status to
operate a motor vehicle under section 310e of the Michigan vehicle
code, 1949 PA 300, MCL 257.310e, or an official state personal
identification card under 1972 PA 222, MCL 28.291 to 28.300.
(c) Is a citizen of the United States.
(2) The secretary of state is authorized to create a
preregistration to vote application. A person shall preregister to
vote on the application prescribed by the secretary of state.
(3) A person who preregisters to vote under this section shall
become a registered elector at 17-1/2 years of age and become
eligible to vote at the first election after he or she becomes 18
years of age.
(4) Immediately upon receipt of a preregistration to vote
application, the secretary of state shall transmit the
preregistration to vote application to the appropriate city or
township clerk and shall transmit the electronic data for the
preregistration to the qualified voter file. The preregistration to
vote application shall be held in a separate file and shall not be
moved to the master file until the person who filed the
preregistration to vote application becomes 17-1/2 years of age.
(5) The qualified voter file shall not include the name of a
person who preregisters to vote on a precinct voter list before the
person becomes 18 years of age.
(6) If a person who preregisters to vote changes the address
that appears on his or her driver license or personal
identification card, the preregistration to vote address for that
person shall also be changed.
(7) When a person who preregisters to vote becomes 17-1/2
years of age, the secretary of state shall send a notice through
the qualified voter file to the appropriate city or township clerk
directing the clerk to send a voter identification card to the
person who preregistered to vote.
(8) The city or township clerk who receives a notice from the
secretary of state pursuant to subsection (7) shall send a voter
identification card to the person who preregistered to vote and
shall add that person to the master file.