QUALIFIED VOTER FILE/ABSENTEE BALLOTS S.B. 751 (S-1):
FLOOR SUMMARY
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Senate Bill 751 (Substitute S-1 as reported by the Committee of the Whole)
Sponsor: Senator Dave Robertson
Committee: Local Government and Elections
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Michigan Election Law to do the following:
-- Require the Secretary of State to create an inactive voter file of registered electors who did not vote for six consecutive years, or who received a notice to confirm residence information from the Secretary of State.
-- Require the absent voter ballot of a person whose registration record was in the inactive file to be prepared as a challenged ballot.
-- Establish procedures for the confirmation of residence information of a registered elector who might have moved to another state; and require the voter's registration to be cancelled if the person did not respond or vote for a period of time.
-- Require a person to present picture ID in order to obtain an absent voter ballot in person.
-- Allow a person who did not present picture ID to sign an affidavit in order to obtain an absent voter ballot, and require the ballot to be prepared as a challenged ballot.
-- Refer to active registered electors, rather than registered electors, in requirements pertaining to the consolidation of election precincts.
-- Allow the use of either active registered voters, or both active and inactive voters, in determining the number of registered voters for precinct division purposes.
-- Require a clerk to use the State's ballot tracker program, if possible, to allow voters to track their absent voter ballots online.
The bill would take effect on June 1, 2012.
MCL 168.509r et al. Legislative Analyst: Julie Cassidy
FISCAL IMPACT
There could be costs associated with the requirement for the Secretary of State to create an inactive voter file for registered voters who have not voted for six consecutive years. These costs could be absorbed by the current allocations to maintain the qualified voter file; however, the Secretary of State is still determining that possibility. Also, there could be a minimal cost to establish procedures for confirming residency information for electors who might have moved out of State, but these costs should be absorbed through current annual appropriations for the Secretary of State.
Date Completed: 2-8-12 Fiscal Analyst: Joe Carrasco
Analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. sb751/1112