HOUSE BILL NO. 4702

A bill to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled

"Michigan election law,"

by amending sections 658 and 661 (MCL 168.658 and 168.661), as amended by 2012 PA 270.

the people of the state of michigan enact:

Sec. 658. When If a city, ward, township, or village is divided into 2 or more election precincts, pursuant to law, and it appears from an examination of the precinct registration records that there are not more than 2,999 5,000 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 by the charter of a city or village, by resolution, may abolish the division or divisions and after that time the city, ward, township, or village shall constitute constitutes a single election precinct as if a division had not been made. A consolidation shall must not be made later than the 120 days before a primary or election.

Sec. 661. (1) When the voter registration in a precinct using voting machines is 1,000 or less, there shall be not less than 1 voting machine for each 500 active registered electors at the general November election and at the primary immediately preceding that election. When the voter registration in a precinct using voting machines is more than 1,000 and less than 3,000, there shall be at least 1 voting machine for each 600 active registered electors at the general November election and at the primary immediately preceding that election. At other primaries and elections, the number of voting machines shall be at the discretion of the local election commission. In making this determination, the local election commission shall take into consideration the number of choices the voter must make, the percentage of registered voters who voted at the last similar election in the jurisdiction, and the intensity of the interest of the electors in the jurisdiction concerning the candidates and proposals to be voted upon. When the voter registration in a precinct using voting machines exceeds 2,999, the precinct shall be divided or rearranged.

(1) (2) Except as provided in subsection (3), (2), city and township election commissions shall divide precincts according to law, not 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. The county clerk shall notify the secretary of state not later than 200 days before the primary of a precinct in the clerk's county which that has not been divided according to law, and the secretary of state shall proceed to make divisions as are necessary at the expense of the city or township involved, not later than 180 days before the primary next preceding the general November election. If the election commission of a city, village, or township using voting machines decides to use paper ballots for a primary or election, the preceding limitations shall continue for that election. A division of precincts shall must be made effective not later than 180 days before the primary election next preceding the general November election.

(2) (3) In the second year following each federal decennial census, precincts shall must be divided pursuant to under this subsection. City and township election commissions shall divide precincts , not later than 120 days before the primary election next preceding the general November election in order that a precinct, as far as is practical, is not split between districts and does not exceed 2,999 5,000 registered voters, electors, and shall immediately notify the county clerk of the number of registered voters electors in each precinct in each city or township. The county clerk shall notify the secretary of state not later than 110 days before the primary of any precincts in the county which that have not been divided, and the secretary of state shall proceed to make the divisions as are necessary, at the expense of the city or township involved, not later than 90 days before the primary election next preceding the general November election. The division of precincts shall must be made effective not later than 90 days before the primary election. The secretary of state may authorize, upon on written request by a city or township election commission, a later division of a precinct which that contains portions of more than 1 elective district. All precinct divisions shall must be completed not later than 90 days before the primary election next preceding the general November election. In determining the number of registered voters for a precinct under this subsection, a city or township election commission or the secretary of state, as applicable, may must use either of the following:

(a) Only only the active registered voters electors for that city or township.

(b) Both the active registered voters for that city or township and the voters in the inactive voter file for that city or township.