SENATE SUBSTITUTE FOR

HB-4478, As Passed House, March 27, 2014HB-4478, As Passed Senate, March 27, 2014

HOUSE BILL NO. 4478

A bill to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled

"Michigan election law,"

by amending sections 32, 500, and 501 (MCL 168.32, 168.500, and

168.501), section 32 as amended by 2012 PA 276 and section 501 as

amended by 2005 PA 71, and by adding sections 19 and 755a.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

Sec. 19. As used in this act, "physical disability" means that

term as defined in section 6 of the adult foster care facility

licensing act, 1979 PA 218, MCL 400.706.

Sec. 32. (1) In the office of the secretary of state, the

bureau of elections created by former 1951 PA 65 continues under

the supervision of a director of elections, to be appointed by the

secretary of state under civil service regulations. The director of

elections shall be vested with the powers and shall perform the

duties of the secretary of state under his or her supervision, with

respect to the supervision and administration of the election laws.

The director of elections shall be a nonmember secretary of the

state board of canvassers.

(2) The director of elections, with the approval of the state

board of canvassers, shall prepare a statement for designation on

the ballot in not more than 100 words, exclusive of caption, of the

purpose of any proposed amendment or question to be submitted to

the electors as required under section 9 of article II, section 34

of article IV if the legislature does not provide for the content

of the question to be submitted to the electors, or section 1 or 2

of article XII of the state constitution of 1963. The statement

shall consist of a true and impartial statement of the purpose of

the amendment or question in such language as shall create no

prejudice for or against the proposed amendment or question. The

powers and duties of the state board of canvassers and the

secretary of state with respect to the preparation of the statement

are transferred to the director of elections. The secretary of

state shall certify the statement of the purpose of any proposed

amendment or question to be submitted to the electors not later

than 60 days before the date of the election.

Sec. 500. If ~~the~~ an applicant for voter registration is unable

to write, or sign his or her name on the voter registration

application because of a physical disability, then ~~he shall~~ the

applicant may execute the registration affidavit either by making

his or her mark ~~and there shall be noted upon the registration card~~

~~the month, day and year of his birth and any other identifying~~

~~information which shall be used in identifying said person at the~~

~~time he makes application for voting as hereinafter more~~

~~specifically provided~~ or by using a signature stamp.

Sec. 501. The original registration cards shall be filed

alphabetically ~~hereinafter~~ and shall be termed the "master file".

The master file shall contain the signature of each elector

registered in the city, township, or village, unless the clerk of

the jurisdiction has access to the qualified voter file and the

elector has a digitized signature in the qualified voter file. If

an elector is unable to write, or sign his or her name because of a

physical disability, the master file shall contain the mark or

signature stamp used by that elector when a signature is required.

Sec. 755a. (1) If an elector is unable to write, or sign his

or her name on an election document because of a physical

disability, the elector may execute the election document where a

signature is required either by making his or her mark or by using

a signature stamp.

(2) As used in this section, "election document" includes, but

is not limited to, any of the following:

(a) A voter application as described in section 523.

(b) An absent voter ballot application as described in section

759 or 759a.

in section 759b.

(d) An absent voter ballot return envelope as described in

section 761.