Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that amends the requirements for election recounts in Michigan.

Highlights:

• Requires the clerk of county canvassers to send a certified copy of statements to the secretary of state that relate to the vote for members of the state board of education, members of the board of regents of the University of Michigan, members of the board of trustees of Michigan State University, and members of the board of governors of Wayne State University (Sec. 828).

• Requires the secretary of state to direct the board of state canvassers to canvas the returns of a statewide primary election if it has an unofficial vote differential of 1,500 or less (Sec. 842).

• Authorizes a board of canvassers to conduct post-certification recounts of election results (Sec. 842).

• Requires the board of canvassers to deny applications for an investigation or an audit of the conduct of an election, petitions to assess the qualifications of electors in an election, or petitions to assess the manner in which ballots are applied for or issued to electors (Sec. 842).

• Requires proceedings intended to interfere with the action of a board of canvassers or any representative operating under the supervision of a board of canvassers to be only instituted against the board and only by mandamus (Sec. 842).

• Requires a recount petition filed by a candidate for office to be filed in good faith and the number of votes requested for a recount is greater than the number of votes between the petitioning candidate and the winning candidate (Sec. 862).

• Requires a recount petition filed by a ballot question committee to be filed in good faith and the number of votes requested for a recount is greater than the difference between the amount of “yes” and “no” votes (Sec. 863).

• Requires a candidate asking for a recount to fill out a specific form in Sec. 865 (Sec. 865).

• Increases the cost of a recount petition per precinct to $50.00 (Sec. 867).

• Increases the cost of a recount petition where the vote difference is more than 75 and 5% of the total number of votes cast in the race per precinct to $500.00 (Sec. 867).

• Establishes a fee of $500.00 per precinct for a recount petition for a ballot question where the difference between the “yes” and “no” votes is more than 75 and 5% of the total number of votes cast in the race (Sec. 867).

• Authorizes any individual who voted in a ballot question election to file a recount counter petition when no ballot question committee is participating (Sec. 868).

• Authorizes a candidate, ballot question committee, or elector to withdraw a recount or counter recount petition at any time (Sec. 868).

• Authorizes a board of canvassers may subpoena an individual that fails to deliver ballots, ballot containers, or election materials to compel delivery of them (Sec. 870).

• Requires any recount for an election that involves the electors of President and Vice President to be completed and certified before 3 PM on the 6th day before the electors convene (Sec. 875).

• Requires any certification of an election result to be final and only subject to a post-certification recount of the votes cast in that election that is supervised by the board of state canvasser or a post-certification court order (Sec. 878).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that amends the requirements for election recounts in Michigan.

Highlights:

• Requires the clerk of county canvassers to send a certified copy of statements to the secretary of state that relate to the vote for members of the state board of education, members of the board of regents of the University of Michigan, members of the board of trustees of Michigan State University, and members of the board of governors of Wayne State University (Sec. 828).

• Requires the secretary of state to direct the board of state canvassers to canvas the returns of a statewide primary election if it has an unofficial vote differential of 1,500 or less (Sec. 842).

• Authorizes a board of canvassers to conduct post-certification recounts of election results (Sec. 842).

• Requires the board of canvassers to deny applications for an investigation or an audit of the conduct of an election, petitions to assess the qualifications of electors in an election, or petitions to assess the manner in which ballots are applied for or issued to electors (Sec. 842).

• Requires proceedings intended to interfere with the action of a board of canvassers or any representative operating under the supervision of a board of canvassers to be only instituted against the board and only by mandamus (Sec. 842).

• Requires a recount petition filed by a candidate for office to be filed in good faith and the number of votes requested for a recount is greater than the number of votes between the petitioning candidate and the winning candidate (Sec. 862).

• Requires a recount petition filed by a ballot question committee to be filed in good faith and the number of votes requested for a recount is greater than the difference between the amount of “yes” and “no” votes (Sec. 863).

• Requires a candidate asking for a recount to fill out a specific form in Sec. 865 (Sec. 865).

• Increases the cost of a recount petition per precinct to $50.00 (Sec. 867).

• Increases the cost of a recount petition where the vote difference is more than 75 and 5% of the total number of votes cast in the race per precinct to $500.00 (Sec. 867).

• Establishes a fee of $500.00 per precinct for a recount petition for a ballot question where the difference between the “yes” and “no” votes is more than 75 and 5% of the total number of votes cast in the race (Sec. 867).

• Authorizes any individual who voted in a ballot question election to file a recount counter petition when no ballot question committee is participating (Sec. 868).

• Authorizes a candidate, ballot question committee, or elector to withdraw a recount or counter recount petition at any time (Sec. 868).

• Authorizes a board of canvassers may subpoena an individual that fails to deliver ballots, ballot containers, or election materials to compel delivery of them (Sec. 870).

• Requires any recount for an election that involves the electors of President and Vice President to be completed and certified before 3 PM on the 6th day before the electors convene (Sec. 875).

• Requires any certification of an election result to be final and only subject to a post-certification recount of the votes cast in that election that is supervised by the board of state canvasser or a post-certification court order (Sec. 878).

Full Bill Text