Bill Text: MI HB5949 | 2021-2022 | 101st Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Elections: voting procedures; early voting; provide for. Amends secs. 720 & 735 of 1954 PA 116 (MCL 168.720 & 168.735) & adds sec. 720a.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 36-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-03-23 - Bill Electronically Reproduced 03/22/2022 [HB5949 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2021-HB5949-Introduced.html
HOUSE BILL NO. 5949
A bill to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled
"Michigan election law,"
by amending sections 720 and 735 (MCL 168.720 and 168.735), section 735 as amended by 2004 PA 92, and by adding section 720a.
the people of the state of michigan enact:
Sec. 720. (1) On the day of any an election, the polls shall be opened must open at 7 o'clock in the forenoon, a.m. and shall must be continuously open until 8 o'clock in the afternoon and no longer. Every p.m. Each qualified elector present and in line at the polls at the hour prescribed for the closing thereof shall time must be allowed to vote.
(2) For early voting under section 720a, the polls must be open for at least 8 hours each day beginning on the second Saturday before election day and ending on the Sunday before election day. The city or township clerk shall provide notice to the electors as provided in section 653a of the dates, times, and locations at which early voting will be held in the city or township. Before early voting begins, the city or township clerk shall post notice at the clerk's office that includes both of the following:
(a) The dates and times that the polling places will be open during the early voting period.
(b) The location of the polling places designated by the city or township clerk to be used during the early voting period.
Sec. 720a. (1) Subject to subsection (2), each city or township must provide early voting at 1 or more polling places designated by the city or township clerk beginning on the second Saturday before election day and ending on the Sunday before election day.
(2) Not less than 60 days before an election, the clerk of a city or township may do either of the following:
(a) Enter into an agreement with the clerk of another city or township, or with the clerks of more than 1 city or township, located in the same county as that city or township to provide for the sharing of early voting polling places in those cities and townships.
(b) Enter into an agreement with the clerk of the county in which the city or township is located to conduct early voting for that city or township. If a city or township has boundaries located in more than 1 county, the clerk of the city or township shall only enter into an agreement under this subdivision with the county clerk of the county in which the majority of the electors of the city or township reside.
(3) The secretary of state shall cooperate with each county, city, and township clerk conducting early voting and provide technical assistance to each county, city, or township clerk who requests technical assistance.
(4) Except as otherwise provided in this section, an early voting polling place is subject to all of the same requirements as an election day polling place.
(5) An elector who votes at an early voting polling place has all of the same rights, and is subject to all of the same requirements, as an elector at an election day polling place.
(6) The poll book and poll list for each precinct must be maintained in accordance with section 735.
(7) Early voting ballots must be processed and tabulated in the same manner as ballots cast on election day.
Sec. 735. (1) At each primary and election, election inspectors shall keep 1 poll book and 1 poll list. An election inspector shall enter in the poll book, in the order in which electors are given ballots, the name of each elector who is given a ballot and immediately after the name, on the same line, shall enter the number of the ballot given to the elector. For an absent voter ballot, when an election inspector removes the ballot from the sealed absent voter envelope, the election inspector shall enter in the poll book the name of the absent voter and the number of the ballot.
(2) For early voting under section 720a, the poll book must be divided by date and separate records must be maintained for each day during the early voting period as described in sections 720 and 720a.
(3) (2) If an elector is issued a provisional ballot, an election inspector shall enter a proper designation in the poll book, including whether the provisional ballot was tabulated in the precinct or was secured for verification after the election.
(4) (3) At the completion of the precinct canvass, an election inspector shall record on the certificate provided in the poll book the number of each metal seal used to seal voting equipment and ballot containers. Each member of the board of election inspectors shall must sign the certificate.
