Bill Text: MI SB0061 | 2015-2016 | 98th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Elections; registration; electronic submission of voter registration application on secretary of state's website; allow. Amends secs. 509v, 509w & 509x of 1954 PA 116 (MCL 168.509v et seq.).
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-01-29 - Referred To Committee On Elections And Government Reform [SB0061 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2015-SB0061-Introduced.html
SENATE BILL No. 61
January 29, 2015, Introduced by Senators BIEDA, HERTEL, KNEZEK, GREGORY, WARREN, ANANICH, HOOD and HOPGOOD and referred to the Committee on Elections and Government Reform.
A bill to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled
"Michigan election law,"
by amending sections 509v, 509w, and 509x (MCL 168.509v, 168.509w,
and 168.509x), as added by 1994 PA 441.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 509v. (1) A person who is not registered to vote at the
address where he or she resides may apply to register to vote by
submitting an application at any of the following locations:
(a) The office of the clerk of a county or the office of the
clerk of the city or township in which the applicant resides,
during regular office hours of that clerk.
(b) A department of state office.
(c) A designated voter registration agency when submitting an
application, recertification, renewal, or change of address at the
voter registration agency.
(2) A person who is not registered to vote at the address
where he or she resides may apply for registration by submitting a
completed mail registration application. A person may request a
mail registration application from and submit the application to
any of the following:
(a) The secretary of state.
(b) The clerk of the county, city, or township in which the
applicant resides.
(c) A designated voter registration agency.
(3) Not later than June 30, 2015, the secretary of state shall
develop and implement a system to allow an applicant to submit a
voter registration application electronically on the secretary of
state's website.
(4) Beginning July 1, 2015, a person who is not registered to
vote at the address where he or she resides may submit a voter
registration application electronically on the secretary of state's
website.
(5) A person who submits a voter registration application
electronically pursuant to subsection (4) shall do all of the
following:
(a) Attest to the truth of the information provided on the
voter registration application by affirmatively accepting the
information as true.
(b) Affirmatively assent to the use of his or her most recent
digitized signature if captured or reproduced by the secretary of
state pursuant to section 307 of the Michigan vehicle code, 1949 PA
300, MCL 257.307, or if captured or reproduced by the secretary of
state pursuant to 1972 PA 222, MCL 28.291 to 28.300.
(c) Sign the voter registration application with an electronic
signature. As used in this subdivision, "electronic signature"
means that term as defined in section 2 of the uniform electronic
transactions act, 2000 PA 305, MCL 450.832.
(6) If a person who submits a voter registration application
electronically does not have an official state identification card
issued pursuant to 1972 PA 222, MCL 28.291 to 28.300, or an
operator's or chauffeur's license issued pursuant to the Michigan
vehicle code, 1949 PA 300, MCL 257.1 to 257.923, the voter
registration application submitted electronically by that person
shall be considered a registration by mail and that person shall
comply with the requirements in section 509t.
(7) The secretary of state may implement additional security
measures to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the voter
registrations submitted electronically.
(8) The secretary of state shall promulgate rules pursuant to
the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201
to 24.328, to implement the provisions of subsections (3) to (7).
Sec. 509w. (1) The person processing an application submitted
in person at a department of state office, a designated voter
registration agency, or the office of a county clerk shall do all
of the following:
(a) Validate the application in the manner prescribed by the
secretary of state.
(b) Issue a receipt to the applicant verifying the acceptance
of the application.
(2) The person processing an application submitted
electronically pursuant to section 509v shall do all of the
following:
(a) Validate the application in the manner prescribed by the
secretary of state.
(b) Issue a receipt to the applicant in the manner prescribed
by the secretary of state verifying the acceptance of the
application.
(3) (2)
Except as otherwise provided in
subsection (3) (4),
the department of state office, the designated voter registration
agency, or the county clerk shall transmit the application not
later than 7 days after receipt of the application to the clerk of
the county, city, or township where the applicant resides.
(4) (3)
If an application under subsection
(1) or (2) is made
within 7 days before the close of registration for a federal
election, the department of state office, the designated voter
registration agency, or the county clerk shall transmit the
application not later than 1 business day to the clerk of the
county, city, or township where the applicant resides.
(5) (4)
If a completed application is
transmitted by the
secretary of state or a designated voter registration agency to a
county clerk, the secretary of state, to the extent funds are
appropriated, shall compensate the county clerk for the cost of
forwarding the application to the proper city or township clerk of
the applicant's residence from funds appropriated to the secretary
of state for that purpose.
Sec.
509x. An application for registration is considered to be
received
on or before the close of registration
, if 1 of the
following requirements is met:
(a) An application is received at a department of state
office, a designated voter registration agency, or the office of a
county, city, or township clerk on or before the close of
registration.
(b) An application is received through the mail that is
postmarked on or before the close of registration.
(c) An application is received through the mail on or before
the seventh day immediately following the close of registration, if
the postmark is missing or is unclear and the application, on its
face, is dated by the applicant on or before the close of
registration. The clerk shall consider an application received
pursuant to this subdivision as received before the close of
registration.
(d) An application is received electronically pursuant to
section 509v on or before the close of registration.
