PRECINCT SIZE; MODIFY S.B. 374:
SUMMARY AS ENACTED
Senate Bill 374 (as enacted) PUBLIC ACT 267 of 2023
Senate Committee: Elections and Ethics
House Committee: Elections
CONTENT (COMPANION BILL LINK: S.B. 572 et al.)
The bill amends the Michigan Election Law to do the following:
-- Decrease, from 5,000 active registered electors to 4,999, the maximum size of an election precinct, in line with changes made by Senate Bills 572 and 573.
-- Require a candidate for office to file a financial disclosure report with the Department of State before assuming office.
The bill is tie-barred to Senate Bill 614, which enacts the Candidate for Office Financial Disclosure Act. The bill will take effect February 13, 2024.
Previously, if a city, ward, township, or village was divided into two or more election precincts and, upon an examination of the precinct registration records, it appeared that there were not more than 2,999 active registered electors, the election commission could abolish the divisions and unite the city, ward, township, or village as a single election precinct. Senate Bill 572 modified this provision to allow the unification of voting precincts with fewer than 4,999 active registered electors (see PREVIOUS LEGISLATION). Senate Bill 573 also modified the election precinct size within another section of the Law in accordance with Senate Bill 572. Senate Bill 374 similarly changes the precinct size to 4,999 active registered electors.
Additionally, the bill requires a candidate for office to file the financial disclosure report required under the Candidate for Office Financial Disclosure Act with the Department of State before that candidate for office assumed office. Under the Act, "candidate for office" means a candidate for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, State representative, or State senator who is subject to the Michigan Campaign Finance Act and whose candidate committee received or expended more than $1,000 during the election cycle.
PREVIOUS LEGISLATION
(This section does not provide a comprehensive account of previous legislative efforts on this subject matter.)
Several bills proposed to amend Section 658 of the Law, which is discussed above. Originally, House Bill 4702, which became Public Act 88 of 2023, was enacted with an effective date of sine die (February 13, 2024). House Bill 4702 amends the Michigan Election Law to increase, from 2,999 to 5,000 active registered electors, the maximum size of an election precinct; however, since House Bill 4702 was enacted, Senate Bill 572 amended Section 658 to change the maximum precinct size from 5,000 to 4,999 active registered electors. Senate Bill 572 became Public Act 226 of 2023 and took effect November 22, 2023. Accordingly, Senate Bill 374 was amended to serve as a companion bill for Senate Bills 572.
Legislative Analyst: Abby Schneider
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill will have no fiscal impact on the State. It may have a minor fiscally negative impact on local governments in the unlikely case that there are exactly 5,000 actively registered voters instead of 4,999 in a city, ward, township, or village with multiple precincts by being unable to consolidate into one voting precinct.
Fiscal Analyst: Joe Carrasco, Jr.
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.