REVISE INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM PETITION SIZE

House Bill 4328

Sponsor:  Rep. Leon Drolet

Committee:  House Oversight, Elections, and Ethics

Complete to 3-7-05

A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 4328 AS INTRODUCED 2-17-05

House Bill 4328 would amend Section 482 of the Michigan Election Law to modify the requirements for the size of petition sheets for petitions proposing a constitutional amendment, the initiation of legislation, or a referendum on legislation, and for putting a question on a local ballot. Generally, the bill would amend the Michigan Election Law to allow petition sheets to be 8-1/2 inches by 11 inches, in addition to their customary size of 8-1/2 inches by 14 inches. 

The act currently requires petitions to be in horizontal format.  The bill would allow the use of a smaller petition sheet, in either horizontal or vertical format, if both of the following conditions were met:  1) the full text of the proposal was able to be printed on one or both sides of the 8-1/2 inches by 11 inches petition sheet; and 2) each petition sheet that was submitted was 8-1/2 inches by 11 inches in size.

Currently the law refers to "each petition." The bill would refer to "each petition sheet."  The requirement that a petition sheet contain no fewer than seven signature lines would be retained.

MCL 168.482

 

FISCAL IMPACT:

There would be no fiscal impact on state or local units of government. 

                                                                                           Legislative Analyst:   J. Hunault

                                                                                                  Fiscal Analyst:   Robin Risko

■ 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.