ALLOW COUNTY VOTERS TO WORK SCHOOL ELECTIONS

THE APPARENT PROBLEM:

Election inspectors, the people who work at the precincts during elections, can be difficult to recruit. A representative from the Saugatuck Public Schools told the House Committee on Redistricting and Elections that some trained and experienced township election workers who were willing to serve in a recent election could not because they did not live in the school district. The election was taking place in the community in which they lived and typically worked as election inspectors, but not all of that community is in the school district holding the election. Legislation has been proposed that would allow any qualified and registered elector in a county to serve as an election inspector for a school district that serves some portion of the county.

THE CONTENT OF THE BILL:

The election provisions of the Revised School Code require that, except when a school election is conducted by city or township officials, the school board is to appoint three or more qualified and registered electors for each voting precinct to serve as the board of election inspectors in that precinct. The bill would amend the code to specify that an election inspector for a school election would have to be a qualified and registered elector of the county in which the school district was located or, if the district was located in more than one county, a qualified and registered elector of any county in which the district was located. (This is understood to mean that an election inspector would not have to be a resident of the school district.)

MCL 380.859

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

There is no information at present.

ARGUMENTS:

For:

The bill would allow any eligible county resident to serve as an election inspector for an election held by a school district that served some portion of the county. This would create a larger pool of potential trained and experienced election workers for school elections. The inspectors are to be appointed by the school board for each precinct.

POSITIONS:

The Department of State supports the bill. (5-31-01)

A representative of the Saugatuck Public Schools testified in support of the bill. (5-31-01)

The Michigan Association of County Clerks supports the bill. (6-4-01)

Analyst: C. Couch

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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.