March 27, 2003, Introduced by Senators BROWN, CHERRY, OLSHOVE, GOSCHKA, CLARKE, STAMAS, SANBORN, KUIPERS, SWITALSKI, CASSIS, BASHAM and GARCIA and referred to the Committee on Government Operations.
A bill to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled
"Michigan election law,"
by amending sections 560, 666, 706, and 777 (MCL 168.560,
168.666, 168.706, and 168.777), section 706 as amended by 1985 PA
160.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
1 Sec. 560. (1)
Such ballots The official primary election
2 ballot shall contain the instructions as to the method of
3 voting.
4 (2) Ballots other than those furnished by the board of
5 election commissioners ,
according to the provisions of this
6 act , shall not
be used, cast, or counted in any election
7 precinct at any such a
primary election.
8 (3) The size
of all official ballots shall be such as
9 prescribed by the board
of election commissioners. shall
1 prescribe.
2 (4) In addition to the method of voting, the instructions
3 shall state both of the following:
4 (a) If the elector does not understand the ballot or needs
5 assistance, the elector may ask an election official for
6 assistance. An election official is required to provide electors
7 with assistance upon request.
8 (b) If the elector believes he or she has made a mistake in
9 voting the ballot, the elector may return the spoiled ballot to
10 an election official and the election official shall provide the
11 elector with a new ballot.
12 Sec. 666. At any
a federal, state, district, or county
13 primary or election,
special election, or general election, the
14 secretary of state shall furnish to the county clerk of each
15 county at the expense of the state the following:
16 (a) The secretary
of state shall have printed for
17 distribution and shall
furnish a A copy of the Michigan
election
18 law and a copy of the manual of instructions for each precinct
19 board of election
inspectors in the state. ;
20 (b) Prior to each primary, general, or special election at
21 which state, district, or county officers are to be nominated or
22 elected, the
secretary of state shall procure a supply of
23 self-sealing metal sealing devices adapted and suitable for
24 sealing the ballot boxes
used at such the election. Said The
25 sealing devices shall have the words "State of Michigan" and
26 serial numbers stamped thereon,
and at least 30 days before any
27 such election he shall
cause to be transmitted to the several
1 county clerks such
number of said metal sealing devices as will
2 on them. The secretary of state shall provide a sufficient
3 number of such seals self-sealing
metal sealing devices for
4 each voting precinct
within the county ; at least 30 days
5 before an election.
6 (c) The secretary
of state shall furnish a A substantial
7 supply of red gummed paper seals for use of the precinct boards
8 of election inspectors in
sealing such the package of ballots
9 and the envelopes containing the tally sheets or books and the
10 statement of returns.
Each such seal shall have inscribed
11 thereon on it the words "Election Seal--State of Michigan"
and
12 the date of the primary or election at which it is to be used. A
13 space shall also be
provided thereon on the seal in which 2
14 members of the board of election inspectors shall write their
15 initials after the seal
has been applied. ;
16 (d) The secretary
of state shall furnish uniform Uniform
17 printed instructions to electors printed in large type upon
18 cards placards, containing any information that will
assist
19 electors in marking their ballots and correctly designating their
20 choices. Two such of
these placards of instructions shall be
21 conspicuously displayed
in each polling place. ; and In
22 addition to other information, the printed instructions shall
23 state both of the following:
24 (i) If the elector does not understand the ballot or needs
25 assistance, the elector may ask an election official for
26 assistance. An election official is required to provide electors
27 with assistance upon request.
1 (ii) If the elector believes he or she has made a mistake in
2 voting the ballot, the elector may return the spoiled ballot to
3 an election official and the election official shall provide the
4 elector with a new ballot.
5 (e) The secretary
of state shall furnish to the various
6 county clerks suitable
Suitable blank forms for use
by the
7 various county boards of canvassers in making returns of the
8 canvass required by law,
and the various this act. Each county
9 boards board of canvassers shall use the blanks
furnished by
10 the secretary of state in making returns of the canvass.
11 Sec. 706. The arrangement of the ballot containing the
12 names of candidates for office shall conform as nearly as
13 possible to the following
plan format, and shall contain the
14 specific instructions there
set forth and no others prescribed
15 in this format:
16 OFFICIAL BALLOT
17 County of .................... Date ...............
18 INSTRUCTIONS - To vote a straight party ticket make a cross
19 (X) or check mark (Q/) in the circle under the name of your
20 party. Nothing further need be done. To vote for a candidate
21 not on your party ticket, make a cross (X) or a check mark (Q/)
22 in the square [] before the candidate's name. Candidates for
23 president and vice-president must be voted for as a unit, and the
24 vote cannot be split. Candidates for governor and lieutenant
25 governor must be voted for as a unit, and the vote cannot be
1 split.
2 If 2 or more candidates are to be elected to the same office
3 and you desire to vote for candidates not on your party ticket,
4 make a cross (X) or a check mark (Q/) in the square [] before the
5 names of the candidates for whom you desire to vote on the other
6 ticket, and strike out an equal number of names on your party
7 ticket, for that office.
8 If you do not desire to vote any party ticket, do not make a
9 cross (X) or check mark (Q/) in the circle at the head of any
10 ticket, but make a cross (X) or a check mark (Q/) in the square
11 [] before the name of each candidate for whom you desire to
12 vote.
13 If you wish to vote for a candidate not on any ticket, write
14 or place the name of that candidate on your ballot opposite the
15 name of the office.
16 If you do not understand the ballot or need assistance, you
17 may ask an election official for assistance. An election
18 official is required to provide voters with assistance upon
19 request. If you believe you have made a mistake in voting your
20 ballot, you may return your spoiled ballot to an election
21 official and the election official shall provide you with a new
22 ballot.
23 Before leaving the booth, fold the ballot so that the face of
24 the ballot is not exposed and so that the numbered corner is
25 visible.
26 ======================================================================
1 Name of Vignette Vignette Vignette
2 Offices with with with
3 Voted For: Name of Party Name of Party Name of Party
4 [ ] [ ] [ ]
5 ======================================================================
6 Name of Name of Name of
7 PRESIDENTIAL Candidate for Candidate for Candidate for
8 Electors of President. President. President.
9 President
10 and Vice- [] Name of [] Name of [] Name of
11 President of Candidate for Candidate for Candidate for
12 the United Vice-President. Vice-President. Vice-President.
13 States
14 ______________________________________________________________________
15 Governor Governor Governor
16 STATE Name of Name of Name of
17 Governor and Candidate Candidate Candidate
18 Lieutenant [] Lieut. Governor [] Lieut. Governor [] Lieut. Governor
19 Governor Name of Name of Name of
20 Candidate Candidate Candidate
21 ______________________________________________________________________
22 Secretary of Secretary of Secretary of
23 State State State
24 Secretary of [] Name of [] Name of [] Name of
25 State Candidate Candidate Candidate
26 ======================================================================
27 CONGRESSIONAL U.S. Senator U.S. Senator U.S. Senator
28 United States [] Name of [] Name of [] Name of
29 Senator Candidate Candidate Candidate
30 ______________________________________________________________________
31 Represent- U.S. Repre- U.S. Repre- U.S. Repre-
32 ative in sentative sentative sentative
33 Congress [] Name of [] Name of [] Name of
34 .....District Candidate Candidate Candidate
35 ======================================================================
36 LEGISLATIVE State Senator State Senator State Senator
37 Senator [] Name of [] Name of [] Name of
38 .....District Candidate Candidate Candidate
39 ______________________________________________________________________
40 State Repre- State Repre- State Repre-
41 Represent- sentative sentative sentative
42 ative [] Name of [] Name of [] Name of
43 .....District Candidate Candidate Candidate
44 ======================================================================
45 COUNTY Pros. Attorney Pros. Attorney Pros. Attorney
46 Prosecuting [] Name of [] Name of [] Name of
47 Attorney Candidate Candidate Candidate
48 ______________________________________________________________________
49 Sheriff Sheriff Sheriff
50 Sheriff [] Name of [] Name of [] Name of
51 Candidate Candidate Candidate
52 ======================================================================
1 Sec. 777. A model representing a portion of the face of the
2 machine and containing
fictitious names must shall be delivered
3 to each board of election inspectors for use on election day, and
4 one of said the
board of election inspectors, or some one
5 someone appointed by said
the board of election inspectors,
6 shall offer to exhibit and explain the operation of the voting
7 machine system, by use of the model, to each voter
before
8 such the voter shall be is allowed
to vote. Printed
9 instructions on how to
vote, circulated to voters, must shall
10 conform to the instructions approved by the election official
11 providing ballots, and
adapted to the machine voting system
12 used. In addition to instructions on how to vote, the printed
13 instructions shall state both of the following:
14 (a) If the elector does not understand the ballot or needs
15 assistance, the elector may ask an election official for
16 assistance. An election official is required to provide electors
17 with assistance upon request.
18 (b) If the elector believes he or she has made a mistake in
19 voting the ballot, the elector may return the spoiled ballot to
20 an election official and the election official shall provide the
21 elector with a new ballot.