December 3, 2015, Introduced by Reps. Singh, Moss, Faris, Lane, Yanez, Pagan, Durhal, Schor, Wittenberg, Greig, Townsend, LaVoy, Gay-Dagnogo, Sarah Roberts, Love, Hoadley, Garrett, Greimel, Zemke and Driskell and referred to the Committee on Elections.
A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the state
constitution of 1963, by amending section 2 of article IV and
section 21 of article V, to modify the election date for governor,
lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and
state senators to the presidential election years.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
state of Michigan, That the following amendment to the state
constitution of 1963, to modify the election date for governor,
lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and
state senators to the presidential election years, is proposed,
agreed to, and submitted to the people of the state:
ARTICLE IV
Sec.
2. The senate shall consist of 38 members. to Except as
otherwise provided in this section, senators shall be elected from
single member districts at the same election as the governor for
four-year terms concurrent with the term of office of the governor.
At the general November election in 2022, senators shall be elected
from single member districts for a two-year term of office. At the
general November election in 2024 and every fourth year after that,
senators shall be elected from single member districts for four-
year terms of office.
In
districting the state for the purpose of electing senators
after
the official publication of the total population count of
each
federal decennial census, each county shall be assigned
apportionment
factors equal to the sum of its percentage of the
state's
population as shown by the last regular federal decennial
census
computed to the nearest one-one hundredth of one percent
multiplied
by four and its percentage of the state's land area
computed
to the nearest one-one hundredth of one percent.
In
arranging the state into senatorial districts, the
apportionment
commission shall be governed by the following rules:
(1)
Counties with 13 or more apportionment factors shall be
entitled
as a class to senators in the proportion that the total
apportionment
factors of such counties bear to the total
apportionment
factors of the state computed to the nearest whole
number.
After each such county has been allocated one senator, the
remaining
senators to which this class of counties is entitled
shall
be distributed among such counties by the method of equal
proportions
applied to the apportionment factors.
(2)
Counties having less than 13 apportionment factors shall
be
entitled as a class to senators in the proportion that the total
apportionment
factors of such counties bear to the total
apportionment
factors of the state computed to the nearest whole
number.
Such counties shall thereafter be arranged into senatorial
districts
that are compact, convenient, and contiguous by land, as
rectangular
in shape as possible, and having as nearly as possible
13
apportionment factors, but in no event less than 10 or more than
16.
Insofar as possible, existing senatorial districts at the time
of
reapportionment shall not be altered unless there is a failure
to
comply with the above standards.
(3)
Counties entitled to two or more senators shall be divided
into
single member districts. The population of such districts
shall
be as nearly equal as possible but shall not be less than 75
percent
nor more than 125 percent of a number determined by
dividing
the population of the county by the number of senators to
which
it is entitled. Each such district shall follow incorporated
city
or township boundary lines to the extent possible and shall be
compact,
contiguous, and as nearly uniform in shape as possible.
ARTICLE V
Sec.
21. The Except as
otherwise provided in this section, the
governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and attorney
general shall be elected for four-year terms at the general
November election in each alternate even-numbered year. At the
general November election in 2022, the governor, lieutenant
governor, secretary of state, and attorney general shall be elected
for a two-year term of office. At the general November election in
2024 and every fourth year after that, the governor, lieutenant
governor, secretary of state, and attorney general shall be elected
for four-year terms of office.
The lieutenant governor, secretary of state and attorney
general shall be nominated by party conventions in a manner
prescribed by law. In the general November election one vote shall
be cast jointly for the candidates for governor and lieutenant
governor nominated by the same party.
Vacancies in the office of the secretary of state and attorney
general shall be filled by appointment by the governor.
Resolved further, That the foregoing amendment shall be
submitted to the people of the state at the next general election
in the manner provided by law.