Act No. 144

Public Acts of 2021

Approved by the Governor

December 23, 2021

Filed with the Secretary of State

December 27, 2021

EFFECTIVE DATE:  December 27, 2021

state of michigan

101st Legislature

Regular session of 2021

Introduced by Reps. Calley, Bollin, Sabo, Koleszar, O’Neal and Hertel

ENROLLED HOUSE BILL No. 4282

AN ACT to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled “An act to reorganize, consolidate, and add to the election laws; to provide for election officials and prescribe their powers and duties; to prescribe the powers and duties of certain state departments, state agencies, and state and local officials and employees; to provide for the nomination and election of candidates for public office; to provide for the resignation, removal, and recall of certain public officers; to provide for the filling of vacancies in public office; to provide for and regulate primaries and elections; to provide for the purity of elections; to guard against the abuse of the elective franchise; to define violations of this act; to provide appropriations; to prescribe penalties and provide remedies; and to repeal certain acts and all other acts inconsistent with this act,” by amending section 163 (MCL 168.163), as amended by 2012 PA 276.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 163. (1) To obtain the printing of the name of an individual as a candidate for nomination by a political party for the office of state senator or representative under a particular party heading upon the official primary ballots in the various election precincts of a district, there must be filed nominating petitions signed by a number of qualified and registered electors residing in the district as determined under section 544f. If the district comprises more than 1 county, the nominating petitions must be filed with the secretary of state. If the district comprises 1 county or less, the nominating petitions must be filed with the county clerk of that county. Nominating petitions must be in the form prescribed in section 544c. The secretary of state and the various county clerks shall receive nominating petitions for filing in accordance with this act up to 4 p.m. of the fifteenth Tuesday before the August primary.

(2) In lieu of filing a nominating petition, a nonrefundable filing fee of $100.00 may be paid to the county clerk or, for a candidate in a district comprising more than 1 county, to the secretary of state. Payment of the fee and certification of the name of the candidate paying the fee are governed by the same provisions as in the case of nominating petitions. The fee must be deposited in the general fund of the candidate’s county of residence and must be used only for the purchase and maintenance of voting equipment.

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

Clerk of the House of Representatives

Secretary of the Senate

Approved___________________________________________

____________________________________________________

Governor