SENATE BILL No. 1469

September 26, 2002, Introduced by Senator BYRUM and referred to the Committee on Government

Operations.

A bill to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled

"Michigan election law,"

by amending section 523 (MCL 168.523), as amended by 1996 PA

583.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

1 Sec. 523. (1) At each election, before being given a

2 ballot, each registered elector offering to vote shall identify

3 himself or herself by presenting an official state identification

4 card issued to that individual pursuant to Act No. 222 of the

5 Public Acts of 1972, being sections 28.291 to 28.295 of the

6 Michigan Compiled Laws, an operator's or chauffeur's license

7 issued to that individual pursuant to the Michigan vehicle code,

8 Act No. 300 of the Public Acts of 1949, being sections 257.1 to

9 257.923 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, or other generally

10 recognized picture identification card and by executing EXECUTE

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1 an application showing his or her signature or mark and address

2 of residence OR SIGN OR MARK THE QUALIFIED VOTER FILE PRINTOUT

3 NEXT TO HIS OR HER NAME in the presence of an election official.

4 If the voter registration cards are used in the precinct, the

5 election official in charge of the precinct registration file

6 shall compare the signature upon the application OR QUALIFIED

7 VOTER FILE PRINTOUT with the signature upon the registration

8 card. If voter registration lists are used in the precinct, the

9 election inspector shall determine if the name on the application

10 to vote appears on the voter registration list. If the name

11 appears on the voter registration list, the elector shall provide

12 further identification by giving his or her date of birth or

13 other information stated upon the voter registration list. In

14 precincts using voter registration lists, the date of birth may

15 be required to be placed on the application to vote. If the sig-

16 nature or an item of information does not correspond, the vote of

17 the person shall be challenged, and the same procedure shall be

18 followed as provided in this act for the challenging of an

19 elector. If the person offering to vote has signed the registra-

20 tion card or application by making a mark, the person shall iden-

21 tify himself or herself by giving his or her date of birth, which

22 shall be compared with the date of birth stated upon the regis-

23 tration card or voter registration list, or shall give other

24 identification as may be referred to upon the registration card

25 or voter registration list. If the elector does not have an

26 official state identification card, operator's or chauffeur's

27 license as required in this subsection, or other generally

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1 recognized picture identification card, the individual shall sign

2 an affidavit to that effect before an election inspector and be

3 allowed to vote as otherwise provided in this act. However, an

4 elector being allowed to vote without the identification required

5 under this subsection is subject to challenge as provided in sec-

6 tion 727.

7 (2) If, upon a comparison of the signature or other identi-

8 fication, it is found that the applicant is entitled to vote, the

9 election officer having charge of the registration list shall

10 approve the application and write his or her initials on the

11 application, after which the number on the ballot issued shall be

12 noted on the application. The application shall serve as 1 of

13 the 2 poll lists required to be kept as a record of a person who

14 has voted. The application shall be filed with the township,

15 city, or village clerk. If voter registration cards are used in

16 the precinct, the date of the election shall be noted by 1 of the

17 election officials upon the precinct registration card of each

18 elector voting at an election. If EITHER THE voter registration

19 lists OR THE QUALIFIED VOTER FILE PRINTOUTS are used in the pre-

20 cinct, the election official shall clearly indicate upon the list

21 OR PRINTOUT each elector voting at that election. The clerk of a

22 city, village, or township shall maintain a record of voting par-

23 ticipation for each registered elector.

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