September 14, 2006, Introduced by Senator HAMMERSTROM and referred to the Committee on Government Operations.
A bill to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled
"Michigan election law,"
by amending section 509v (MCL 168.509v), as added by 1994 PA 441.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 509v. (1) A person who is not registered to vote at the
address where he or she resides may apply to register to vote by
submitting an application at any of the following locations:
(a) The office of the clerk of a county or the office of the
clerk of the city or township in which the applicant resides,
during regular office hours of that clerk.
(b) A department of state office.
(c) A designated voter registration agency when submitting an
application, recertification, renewal, or change of address at the
voter registration agency.
(2) A person who is not registered to vote at the address
where he or she resides may apply for registration by submitting a
completed mail registration application. A person may request a
mail registration application from and submit the application to
any of the following:
(a) The secretary of state.
(b) The clerk of the county, city, or township in which the
applicant resides.
(c) A designated voter registration agency.
(d) A third-party voter registration organization.
(3) Before engaging in any voter registration activities, a
third-party voter registration organization shall register with the
county, city, or township clerk where the voter registration
activities will take place. The registration application shall
include the names of the officers of the third-party voter
registration organization or the names of the persons in the third-
party voter registration organization who have the authority to
supervise the individuals collecting voter registration
applications for the organization.
(4) A third-party voter registration organization shall not
pay a person to solicit, collect, or assist in collecting voter
registration applications if the amount of the payment is based on
the number of voter registration applications collected. A third-
party voter registration organization that violates this subsection
is liable for a civil fine of $10,000.00 for each violation.
(5) A third-party voter registration organization shall
establish a process to review all of the voter registration
applications collected for potential fraud. If a third-party voter
registration organization finds that any of the voter registration
applications collected are or could be fraudulent, then the third-
party voter registration organization shall report that information
to the prosecuting attorney for that county and to the county
clerk.
(6) A third-party voter registration organization shall
deliver to the secretary of state or the clerk of the county, city,
township, or village a voter registration application collected by
the organization no later than the last day for accepting voter
registrations before an election as provided in section 497, or 10
business days after the voter registration application is
collected, whichever is earlier. A third-party voter registration
organization that violates this subsection is liable for a civil
fine of $10,000.00 for each violation.
(7) If a third-party voter registration organization delivers
a voter registration application to the secretary of state or the
clerk of the county, city, township, or village after the last day
for accepting voter registrations before an election as provided in
section 497, the person or persons named on the organization's
registration application as required under subsection (3) are
guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more
than 93 days or a fine of not more than $500.00, or both.
(8) If a third-party voter registration organization fails to
deliver a voter registration application to the secretary of state
or the clerk of the county, city, township, or village, the person
or persons named on the organization's registration application as
required under subsection (3) are guilty of a felony punishable by
imprisonment for not more than 5 years or a fine of not more than
$1,000.00, or both.
(9) A person who knowingly forges a signature on a voter
registration application is guilty of forgery punishable as
provided in section 937.
(10) A person who knowingly submits a fraudulent or forged
voter registration application to the secretary of state or a
county, city, township, or village clerk is guilty of a felony
punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years or a fine of
not more than $1,000.00, or both.
(11) A civil fine ordered pursuant to this section shall be
deposited in the general fund of this state.
(12) As used in this section, "third-party voter registration
organization" means a person, company, entity, firm, or
organization that solicits or collects voter registration
applications. A third-party voter registration organization does
not include any of the following:
(a) The secretary of state.
(b) A county, city, township, or village clerk or assistant
clerk.
(c) A designated voter registration agency as defined in
section 509m.
(d) A person who registers voters or who collects voter
registration applications as an employee or agent of the secretary
of state, a county, city, township, or village clerk, or a
designated voter registration agency.
(e) A political party.