HOUSE BILL No. 6195


     June 13, 2002, Introduced by Reps. Minore, Rison, Quarles, Hart, Adamini and Lemmons and referred to the Committee on
Redistricting and Elections.


        A bill to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled

   "Michigan election law,"

   by amending section 961a (MCL 168.961a), as amended by 1999 PA

   220.

               THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

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             Sec. 961a.  (1) Not later than the business day following

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        the filing of a recall petition, the official with whom the

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        recall was filed shall notify in writing the officer whose recall

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        is sought that the recall petition has been filed.

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             (2) An officer whose recall is sought may challenge the

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        validity of the registration or the validity and genuineness of

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        the signature of a circulator or person signing the recall

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        petition.  A challenge shall be in writing, specifying the

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        challenged signature, and shall be delivered to the filing

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        official within 30 days after the filing of the petitions.  The


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        officer whose recall is sought shall have not less than 8

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        BUSINESS days after the clerk has examined the signatures to

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        check signatures on the original registration records.

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             (3) Subject to subsection (4), a challenged signature shall

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        be compared with the signature on the original registration

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        record.

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             (4) The qualified voter file may be used to determine the

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        validity of petition signatures by verifying the registration of

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        signers.  If the qualified voter file indicates that, on the date

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        the elector signed the petition, the elector was not registered

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        to vote, there is a rebuttable presumption that the signature is

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        invalid.  If the qualified voter file indicates that, on the date

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        the elector signed the petition, the elector was not registered

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        to vote in the city or township designated on the petition, there

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        is a rebuttable presumption that the signature is invalid.



























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