HOUSE BILL No. 4351


     February 27, 2001, Introduced by Reps. Cameron Brown, Dennis, Julian, Gieleghem, Richardville, Kolb, Vander Veen, Lipsey, Faunce, Kooiman,
Schauer, Spade, Vander Roest, Switalski, Gosselin, Mead, Ehardt, Pappageorge, Birkholz, Vear, Allen and Voorhees and referred to the Committee on
Redistricting and Elections.


        A bill to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled

   "Michigan election law,"

   by amending sections 560, 666, 706, and 777 (MCL 168.560,

   168.666, 168.706, and 168.777), section 706 as amended by 1985

   PA 160.

               THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 1
           Sec. 560.  (1)  Such ballots  THE OFFICIAL PRIMARY ELECTION

 2
      BALLOT shall contain the instructions as to the method of

 3
      voting.

 4
           (2) Ballots other than those furnished by the board of elec-

 5
      tion commissioners  ,  according to the provisions of this act

 6
       ,  shall not be used, cast, or counted in any election precinct

 7
      at  any such  A primary election.






   00244'01                                                 CAS                                   2

 1
           (3) The size of all official ballots shall be  such  as

 2
      PRESCRIBED BY the board of election commissioners.  shall

 3
      prescribe.

 4
           (4) THE INSTRUCTIONS SHALL STATE BOTH OF THE FOLLOWING:

 5
           (A) IF THE VOTER DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THE BALLOT, THE VOTER

 6
      SHALL ASK AN ELECTION OFFICIAL FOR ASSISTANCE.

 7
           (B) IF THE VOTER MAKES A MISTAKE IN VOTING THE BALLOT, THE

 8
      VOTER SHALL RETURN THE SPOILED BALLOT TO AN ELECTION OFFICIAL AND

 9
      OBTAIN A NEW BALLOT.

10
           Sec. 666.  At  any  A federal, state, district, or county

11
      primary  or  ELECTION, SPECIAL ELECTION, OR GENERAL election, the

12
      secretary of state shall furnish to the county clerk of each

13
      county at the expense of the state the following:

14
           (a)  The secretary of state shall have printed for distribu-

15
      tion and shall furnish a  A copy of the Michigan election law and

16
      A COPY of the manual of instructions for each precinct board of

17
      election inspectors in the state.  ;

18
           (b) Prior to each primary, general, or special election at

19
      which state, district, or county officers are to be nominated or

20
      elected,  the secretary of state shall procure  a supply of

21
      self-sealing metal sealing devices adapted and suitable for seal-

22
      ing the ballot boxes used at  such  THE election.   Said  THE

23
      sealing devices shall have the words "State of Michigan" and

24
      serial numbers stamped  thereon, and at least 30 days before any

25
      such election he shall cause to be transmitted to the several

26
      county clerks such number of said metal sealing devices as will

27
      ON THEM.  THE SECRETARY OF STATE SHALL provide a sufficient



   00244'01                                   3

 1
      number of  such seals  SELF-SEALING METAL SEALING DEVICES for

 2
      each voting precinct within the county  ;  AT LEAST 30 DAYS

 3
      BEFORE AN ELECTION.

 4
           (c)  The secretary of state shall furnish a  A substantial

 5
      supply of red gummed paper seals for use of the precinct boards

 6
      of election inspectors in sealing  such  THE package of ballots

 7
      and the envelopes containing the tally sheets or books and the

 8
      statement of returns.  Each  such  seal shall have inscribed

 9
       thereon  ON IT the words "Election Seal--State of Michigan" and

10
      the date of the primary or election at which it is to be used.  A

11
      space shall also be provided  thereon  ON THE SEAL in which 2

12
      members of the board of election inspectors shall write their

13
      initials after the seal has been applied.  ;

14
           (d)  The secretary of state shall furnish uniform  UNIFORM

15
      printed instructions to electors printed in large type upon

16
      cards, containing any information that will assist electors in

17
      marking their ballots and correctly designating their choices.

18
      Two  such  placards of instructions shall be conspicuously dis-

19
      played in each polling place.  ; and  THE PRINTED INSTRUCTIONS

20
      SHALL STATE BOTH OF THE FOLLOWING:

21
           (i) IF AN ELECTOR DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THE BALLOT, THE ELEC-

22
      TOR SHALL ASK AN ELECTION OFFICIAL FOR ASSISTANCE.

23
           (ii) IF AN ELECTOR MAKES A MISTAKE IN VOTING THE BALLOT, THE

24
      ELECTOR SHALL RETURN THE SPOILED BALLOT TO AN ELECTION OFFICIAL

25
      AND OBTAIN A NEW BALLOT.

26
           (e)  The secretary of state shall furnish to the various

27
      county clerks suitable  SUITABLE blank forms for use by the



   00244'01                                   4

 1
       various  county boards of canvassers in making returns of the

 2
      canvass required by  law, and the various  THIS ACT.  EACH county

 3
       boards  BOARD of canvassers shall use the blanks furnished by

 4
      the secretary of state in making returns of the canvass.

 5
           Sec. 706.  The arrangement of the ballot containing the

 6
      names of candidates for office shall conform as nearly as possi-

 7
      ble to the  following plan,  FORMAT SET FORTH IN THIS SECTION and

 8
      shall contain the specific instructions  there set forth

 9
      CONTAINED IN THIS SECTION and no others:

10
      

11
                               OFFICIAL BALLOT



12
           County of ....................  Date ...............

13
           INSTRUCTIONS - To vote a straight party ticket make a cross

14
      (X) or check mark (Q/) in the circle under the name of your

15
      party.  Nothing further need be done.  To vote for a candidate

16
      not on your party ticket, make a cross (X) or a check mark (Q/)

17
      in the square [] before the candidate's name.  Candidates for

18
      president and vice-president must be voted for as a unit, and the

19
      vote cannot be split.  Candidates for governor and lieutenant

20
      governor must be voted for as a unit, and the vote cannot be

21
      split.

22
           If 2 or more candidates are to be elected to the same office

23
      and you desire to vote for candidates not on your party ticket,

24
      make a cross (X) or a check mark (Q/) in the square [] before the

25
      names of the candidates for whom you desire to vote on the other





   00244'01                                   5

 1
      ticket, and strike out an equal number of names on your party

 2
      ticket, for that office.

 3
           If you do not desire to vote  any  A party ticket, do not

 4
      make a cross (X) or check mark (Q/) in the circle at the head of

 5
       any  A PARTY ticket, but make a cross (X) or a check mark (Q/)

 6
      in the square [] before the name of each candidate for whom you

 7
      desire to vote.

 8
           If you wish to vote for a candidate not on  any  A PARTY

 9
      ticket, write or place the name of that candidate on your ballot

10
      opposite the name of the office.

11
           IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE BALLOT, YOU SHALL ASK AN ELEC-

12
      TION OFFICIAL FOR HELP.  IF YOU MAKE A MISTAKE IN VOTING THE

13
      BALLOT, YOU SHALL RETURN THE SPOILED BALLOT TO AN ELECTION OFFI-

14
      CIAL AND YOU WILL RECEIVE A NEW BALLOT.

15
           Before leaving the booth, fold the ballot so that the face

16
      of the ballot is not exposed and so that the numbered corner is

17
      visible.

18
      ======================================================================

19
      Name of              Vignette           Vignette           Vignette
20
      Offices                with               with               with
21
      Voted For:        Name of Party      Name of Party      Name of Party
22
                             [ ]                [ ]                [ ]
23
      ======================================================================
24
                       Name of            Name of            Name of
25
      PRESIDENTIAL     Candidate for      Candidate for      Candidate for
26
      Electors of      President.         President.         President.
27
      President
28
      and Vice-     [] Name of         [] Name of         [] Name of
29
      President of     Candidate for      Candidate for      Candidate for
30
      the United       Vice-President.    Vice-President.    Vice-President.
31
      States







   00244'01                                   6

 1
      ______________________________________________________________________
 2
                       Governor           Governor           Governor
 3
      STATE            Name of            Name of            Name of
 4
      Governor and     Candidate          Candidate          Candidate
 5
      Lieutenant    [] Lieut. Governor [] Lieut. Governor [] Lieut. Governor
 6
      Governor         Name of            Name of            Name of
 7
                       Candidate          Candidate          Candidate
 8
      ______________________________________________________________________
 9
                       Secretary of       Secretary of       Secretary of
10
                       State              State              State
11
      Secretary of  [] Name of         [] Name of         [] Name of
12
      State            Candidate          Candidate          Candidate
13
      ======================================================================
14
      CONGRESSIONAL    U.S. Senator       U.S. Senator       U.S. Senator
15
      United States [] Name of         [] Name of         [] Name of
16
      Senator          Candidate          Candidate          Candidate
17
      ______________________________________________________________________
18
      Represent-       U.S. Repre-        U.S. Repre-        U.S. Repre-
19
      ative in         sentative          sentative          sentative
20
      Congress      [] Name of         [] Name of         [] Name of
21
      .....District    Candidate          Candidate          Candidate
22
      ======================================================================
23
      LEGISLATIVE      State Senator      State Senator      State Senator
24
      Senator       [] Name of         [] Name of         [] Name of
25
      .....District    Candidate          Candidate          Candidate
26
      ______________________________________________________________________
27
                       State Repre-       State Repre-       State Repre-
28
      Represent-       sentative          sentative          sentative
29
      ative         [] Name of         [] Name of         [] Name of
30
      .....District    Candidate          Candidate          Candidate
31
      ======================================================================
32
      COUNTY           Pros. Attorney     Pros. Attorney     Pros. Attorney
33
      Prosecuting   [] Name of         [] Name of         [] Name of
34
      Attorney         Candidate          Candidate          Candidate
35
      ______________________________________________________________________
36
                       Sheriff            Sheriff            Sheriff
37
      Sheriff       [] Name of         [] Name of         [] Name of
38
                       Candidate          Candidate          Candidate
39
      ======================================================================
40
      
41
           Sec. 777.  A model representing a portion of the face of the

42
      machine and containing fictitious names  must  SHALL be delivered

43
      to each board of election inspectors for use on election day, and

44
      one of  said  THE board OF ELECTION INSPECTORS, or  some one

45
      SOMEONE appointed by  said  THE board OF ELECTION INSPECTORS,

46
      shall offer to exhibit and explain the operation of the voting

47
      machine, by use of the model, to each voter before such voter

   00244'01                                   7

 1
       shall be  IS allowed to vote.  Printed instructions on how to

 2
      vote, circulated to voters, must conform to the instructions

 3
      approved by the official providing ballots, and adapted to the

 4
      machine used.  THE PRINTED INSTRUCTIONS SHALL STATE BOTH OF THE

 5
      FOLLOWING:

 6
           (A) IF A VOTER DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THE BALLOT, THE VOTER

 7
      SHALL ASK AN ELECTION OFFICIAL FOR ASSISTANCE.

 8
           (B) IF A VOTER MAKES A MISTAKE IN VOTING THE BALLOT, THE

 9
      VOTER SHALL RETURN THE SPOILED BALLOT TO AN ELECTION OFFICIAL AND

10
      OBTAIN A NEW BALLOT.































   




   00244'01          Final page.                            CAS