Act No. 627

Public Acts of 2018

Approved by the Governor

December 28, 2018

Filed with the Secretary of State

December 28, 2018

EFFECTIVE DATE: December 28, 2018

STATE OF MICHIGAN

99TH LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2018

Introduced by Senator Schmidt

ENROLLED SENATE BILL No. 1095

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 sections 321 and 646a (MCL 168.321 and 168.646a), section 321 as amended by 2003 PA 302 and section 646a as amended by 2015 PA 197.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 321. (1) Except as provided in subsection (3) and sections 322, 327, 641, 642, 644e, 644f, 644g, and 646a, the qualifications, nomination, election, appointment, term of office, and removal from office of a city officer must be in accordance with the charter provisions governing the city.

(2) Within 3 days after the last day on which a candidate for a city office may withdraw, the city clerk shall deliver to the county clerk of the county in which the city is located a list setting forth the name and address of each candidate for a city office.

(3) If the membership of the legislative body of a city governed by the home rule city act, 1909 PA 279, MCL 117.1 to 117.38, is reduced to less than a quorum, unless another method of appointing members of the legislative body is provided by the city charter, members of the legislative body are appointed as provided in this subsection. The board of county election commissioners of the county in which the largest portion of the population of the city resides shall appoint the number of members of the legislative body required to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business by the legislative body. A member of the legislative body appointed under this subsection shall hold the office only until the member’s successor is elected and qualified. The successor shall be elected at a special or regular election on the next regular election date that is not less than 60 days after the appointment is made. The successor shall serve for the balance of the unexpired term. A member who is appointed under this subsection shall not vote on the appointment of himself or herself to an elective or appointive city office.

(4) Notwithstanding another provision of law or charter to the contrary, an appointment to an elective or appointive city office made by a quorum constituted by appointments under this section expires upon the election and qualification of a sufficient number of members of the legislative body so that the elected members constitute a quorum.

Sec. 646a. (1) If a local officer is to be elected at a general November election, candidates for the local office must 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 must 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, the candidate filing deadline is 4 p.m. on the fifteenth Tuesday before the general November election. Except as provided in section 642, the local primary election must 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 must be certified to the county clerk by the local clerk within 5 days after the last day for filing petitions, and certification of nominees must be made to that clerk within 5 days after the date on which the primary or caucus was held.

(2) If a ballot question of a political subdivision of this state including, but not limited to, a county, city, village, township, school district, special use district, or other district is to be voted on at a regular election date or special election, the ballot wording of the ballot question must be certified to the proper local or county clerk not later than 4 p.m. on the twelfth Tuesday 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 82 days before the election. Petitions to place a county or local ballot question on the ballot at the election must 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 to and control the filing deadlines for candidates for local office to be elected at the general November election and for all ballot questions of a political subdivision of this state at any regular election, primary election, or special election notwithstanding any provisions of law or charter to the contrary.

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

Secretary of the Senate

Clerk of the House of Representatives

Approved

Governor