Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires county, city and township clerks to maintain a list of "permanent absent voters."

Highlights:

• Authorizes a municipality is divided into two or more election precincts and it appears from an examination of the precinct registration records that there are not more than 4,000 active registered electors in the city, ward, township, or village, using voting machines, the election commission, or other officials charged with the performance of the duty to abolish the division or divisions and after that time the city, ward, township, or village constitutes a single election precinct as if a division had not been made (Sec. 658).

• Specifies if a county, city, ward, township, village, metropolitan district, or school district is divided into 2 or more election precincts, the county, city, ward, or township, or village election commissioners may, by resolution, consolidate the election precincts for a particular election that is not a general November election (Sec. 659-1).

• Establishes unless the polling places for the election precincts to be consolidated are located in the same building, when a county, city, ward, or township consolidates election precincts for a particular election, the election commissioners or other designated election officials will do both of the following (Sec. 659-3):

• Provide notice to the registered electors of the affected election precincts of the consolidation of election precincts for the particular election and the location of the polling place for the election precinct or precincts for that election. Notice may be provided by mail or other method designed to provide actual notice to the registered electors;

• Post a written notice at each election precinct polling place stating the location of the consolidated election precinct polling place.

• Specifies for a primary election occurring before a general November election, a consolidation under this section may occur only if the polling place for those consolidated precincts does not change. For consolidation, the election commissioners or other designated election officials are not required to provide notice of the consolidated precincts (Sec. 659-4).

• Requires city and township election commissions to divide precincts according to law, no later than 210 days before the primary next preceding the general November election, and shall immediately notify the county clerk of the number of registered voters electors in each precinct in the city or township (Sec. 661-2).

• Authorizes a qualified and registered elector to submit a written request to be placed on the permanent absent voter application list of the county, city, or township in which the elector is registered to vote (Sec. 759e.2).

• Authorizes a qualified and registered elector to request to be removed from the permanent absentee voter application list of the county, city, or township. A written request by an elector under this subsection must be made to the county, city, or township clerk in person, by facsimile communication, by email, or by first-class mail, and must include the elector's signature and registered address (Sec. 759e-5).

• Specifies if an elector is on a permanent absent voter application list and the elector changes his or her registered address, the elector's request to be on a permanent absent voter application list automatically continues and the elector must be listed on the permanent absent voter application list of the county, city, or township in which the elector is registered to vote (Sec. 759e-7).

Full Bill Text