October 15, 2003, Introduced by Reps. Newell, Wenke, Howell, Palsrok, Hager, Jamnick, Ward, Hummel, Emmons and Shaffer and referred to the Committee on Local Government and Urban Policy.
A bill to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled
"Michigan election law,"
by amending section 662 (MCL 168.662), as amended by 1999 PA
216.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
1 Sec. 662. (1) The legislative body in each city, village,
2 and township shall designate and prescribe the place or places of
3 holding an election in
the for a city, village, or township
4 election, and shall provide a suitable polling place in or for
5 each precinct located in the city, village, or township for use
6 at each election. Except as otherwise provided in this section,
7 school buildings, fire stations, police stations, and other
8 publicly owned or controlled buildings shall be used as polling
9 places. If it is not possible or convenient to use a publicly
10 owned or controlled building as a polling place, the legislative
1 body of the city, township, or village may use as a polling place
2 a building owned or controlled by an organization that is exempt
3 from federal income tax pursuant
to as provided by section
4 501(c) other than 501(c)(4), (5), or (6) of the internal revenue
5 code of 1986, or any successor statute. The legislative body of
6 a city, township, or village shall not designate as a polling
7 place a building that is owned by a person who is a sponsor of a
8 political committee or independent committee. A city, township,
9 or village shall not use as a polling place a building that does
10 not meet the requirements of this section. As used in this
11 subsection, "sponsor of a political committee or independent
12 committee" means a person who is described as being a sponsor
13 under section 24(3) of the Michigan campaign finance act, 1976 PA
14 388, MCL 169.224, and includes a subsidiary of a corporation or a
15 local of a labor
organization, which if the corporation or
16 labor organization is considered a sponsor under section 24(3) of
17 the Michigan campaign finance act, 1976 PA 388, MCL 169.224.
18 (2) The legislative body in each city, village, and township
19 shall make arrangements for the rental or erection of suitable
20 buildings for use as polling places if publicly owned or
21 controlled buildings are
not available, and shall cause have
22 the polling places to
be equipped with the necessary facilities
23 for lighting and with adequate facilities for heat and
24 ventilation. The legislative body may establish a central
25 polling place or places for 6 precincts or less if it is possible
26 and convenient for the electors to vote at the central polling
27 place. The legislative body may abolish other polling places not
1 required as a result of the establishment of a central polling
2 place.
3 (3) The legislative body of a city, village, or township may
4 establish a polling place at a for profit or nonprofit residence
5 or facility in which 150 persons or more aged 62 or older reside
6 or at an apartment building or complex in which 150 persons or
7 more reside. A township board may provide polling places located
8 within the limits of a city that has been incorporated from
9 territory formerly a part of the township, and the electors of
10 the township may cast their ballots at those polling places. If
11 2 contiguous townships utilize a combined township hall or other
12 publicly owned or controlled building within 1 of the township's
13 boundaries and outside of the other township's boundaries, but
14 within 1 mile of that township's boundaries, each township board
15 may provide a polling place in that publicly owned building for 1
16 or more election precinct.
17 (4) The legislative body of a city, village, or township
18 shall not establish, move, or abolish a polling place less than
19 60 days before an election unless necessary because a polling
20 place has been damaged, destroyed, or rendered inaccessible or
21 unusable as a polling place.
22 (5) The legislative body of a city, village, or township
23 shall ensure that a polling place established under this section
24 complies with the voting accessibility for the elderly and
25 handicapped act, Public Law 98-435, 42 U.S.C. 1973ee to
26 1973ee-6.