PETITION SIGNATURES/CHALLENGES - H.B. 5064 (H-2): FLOOR ANALYSIS



House Bill 5064 (Substitute H-2 as reported without amendment)

Sponsor: Representative Michael Bishop

House Committee: Constitutional Law and Ethics

Senate Committee: Government Operations


CONTENT


The bill would amend the Michigan Election Law to do the following:


-- Allow the Secretary of State to establish uniform standards for State and local petition signatures.

-- Provide that, before the Board of State Canvassers met to make a final determination on challenges to a petition, the Board or a county clerk would have to make public its staff report concerning the disposition of the challenges.

-- Require the Board or a county clerk to make documents received from local election officials available to petitioners and challengers on a daily basis.

-- Provide that the Qualified Voter File (QVF) could be used to determine the validity of petition signatures.


The Secretary of State could promulgate rules establishing uniform standards for State and local nominating, recall, and ballot question petition signatures. These standards could include, but would not be limited to, standards for all of the following:


-- Determining the validity of registration of a circulator or an individual signing a petition.

-- Determining the genuineness of the signature of a circulator or an individual signing a petition.

-- Properly designating the place of registration of a circulator or an individual signing a petition.


The QVF could be used to determine the validity of petition signatures by verifying the registration of signers. If the QVF indicated that, on the date an elector signed a petition, the elector was not registered to vote, there would be a rebuttable presumption that the signature was invalid. If the QVF indicated that, on the date the elector signed the petition, the elector was not registered to vote in the city or township designated on the petition, there would be a rebuttable presumption that the signature was invalid.


MCL 168.31 et al. - Legislative Analyst: G. Towne


FISCAL IMPACT


The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.


Date Completed: 12-7-99 - Fiscal Analyst: E. LimbsFloor\hb5064 - Bill Analysis @ http://www.state.mi.us/sfa

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.