ELIMINATE FEBRUARY PRIMARY

FOR MAY CITY ELECTIONS

House Bill 4385 as introduced

Sponsor:  Rep. Bradford C. Jacobsen

Committee:  Elections

Complete to 3-24-15

SUMMARY:

House Bill 4385 would amend the Michigan Election Law to eliminate those provisions that require candidates for city office who appear on a February primary election ballot, to file their nominating petitions on the 15th Tuesday before the February primary.

The bill also would remove two outdated provisions of the law that applied to candidates for city office prior to December 31, 2013.

The law would continue to specify that if a charter provided for nomination by caucus or by filing a petition or affidavit directly for the May election, then the candidate's filing deadline or certification deadline is 4 p.m. on the 15th Tuesday before the May election.

The bill would take effect 90 days after it is enacted into law.  Further, the bill is tie-barred to House Bills 4271, 4272, 4273, 4274, and 4276, so that it could not go into effect unless those bills were also enacted into law.

MCL 168.322

FISCAL IMPACT:

There would be no significant fiscal impact to the state. The Department of State does not expect to see any savings or cost increases as a result of the bill.

The fiscal impact to local governments is indeterminate. There are too many unknown variables to quantify any potential cost savings or increases that local governments could realize with elimination of the February primary election date.

                                                                                        Legislative Analyst:   J. Hunault

                                                                                                Fiscal Analyst:   Perry Zielak

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.