SENATE BILL No. 1471
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
identifica-
4 tion card issued to that individual pursuant to Act
No. 222 of
5 the 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 an
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1 application showing his or her signature or mark and address of
2 residence in the presence of an election official. If the voter
3 registration cards are used in the precinct, the election offi-
4 cial in charge of the precinct registration file shall compare
5 the signature upon the application with the signature upon the
6 registration card. If voter registration lists are used in the
7 precinct, the election inspector shall determine if the name on
8 the application to vote appears on the voter registration list.
9 If the name appears on the voter registration list, the
elector
10 shall provide further identification by giving his or
her date of
11 birth or other information stated upon the voter
registration
12 list. In precincts using voter registration lists, the
date of
13 birth may be required to be placed on the application
to vote.
14 If the signature or an item of information does not
correspond,
15 the vote of the person shall be challenged, and the
same proce-
16 dure shall be followed as provided in this act for the
challeng-
17 ing of an elector. If the person offering to vote has
signed the
18 registration card or application by making a mark,
the person
19 shall identify himself or herself by giving his or her
date of
20 birth, which shall be compared with the date of birth
stated upon
21 the registration card or voter registration list, or
shall give
22 other identification as may be referred to upon the
registration
23 card or voter registration list. If the elector does not
have an
24 official state identification card, operator's or
chauffeur's
25 license as required in this subsection, or other
generally recog-
26 nized picture identification card, the individual shall
sign an
27 affidavit to that effect before an election inspector
and be
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1 allowed to vote as otherwise provided in this act.
However, an
2 elector being allowed to vote without the
identification required
3 under this subsection is subject to challenge as
provided in sec-
4 tion 727.
5 (2) If, upon a comparison of the signature or other identi-
6 fication, it is found that the applicant is entitled to vote, the
7 election officer having charge of the registration list shall
8 approve the application and write his or her initials on the
9 application, after which the number on the ballot issued shall be
10 noted on the application. The application shall serve as 1 of
11 the 2 poll lists required to be kept as a record of a person who
12 has voted. The application shall be filed with the township,
13 city, or village clerk. If voter registration cards are used in
14 the precinct, the date of the election shall be noted by 1 of the
15 election officials upon the precinct registration card of each
16 elector voting at an election. If voter registration lists are
17 used in the precinct, the election official shall clearly indi-
18 cate upon the list each elector voting at that election. The
19 clerk of a city, village, or township shall maintain a record of
20 voting participation for each registered elector.
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