ABSENT VOTER BALLOT AVAILABILITY

House Bill 5530

Sponsor:  Rep. Jennifer Haase

Committee:  Ethics and Elections

Complete to 10-20-09

A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 5530 AS INTRODUCED 10-20-09

House Bill 5530 would amend the Michigan Election Law to increase the time prior to an election that absent voter ballots would be available to county clerks.

Currently under the law, the County Board of Election Commissioners must cause all ballots and absent voter ballots to be delivered to the county clerk at least 47 days before both the November general election and the August primary, and 22 days before all other elections. The county clerk, in turn, must deliver the absent voter ballots for each precinct to all the township and city clerks in the county at the earliest possible time, but at least 45 days before both the November general election and the August primary, and at least 20 days before any other election.  (All other ballots other than absent voter ballots, as well as election supplies, must be delivered to the local clerks at least 10 days before any election.)

House Bill 5530 would revise these deadlines. The bill would require that the County Board of Election Commissioners cause the delivery of all ballots and absent voter ballots to county clerks at least 47 days before any election.  Further, the bill would require the county clerks to deliver to the local clerks the absent voter ballots for each precinct at the earliest possible time, but at least 45 days before all elections. (All but the absent voter ballots would continue to be delivered to the local clerks at least 10 days before any election.)

MCL 168.713 and 168.714

FISCAL IMPACT:

House Bill 5530 would have an indeterminate, but likely negligible, fiscal impact on the Secretary of State.  Any fiscal impact would derive from increased administrative and processing costs due to the revision of deadlines under the bill.

                                                                                           Legislative Analyst:   J. Hunault

                                                                                                  Fiscal Analyst:   Ben Gielczyk

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.