H.B. 4443 (H-3): COMMITTEE SUMMARY ABSENT VOTERS: ARMED SERVICES

House Bill 4443 (Substitute H-3 as passed by the House) Sponsor: Representative Alvin Kukuk

House Committee: Local Government Senate Committee: Government Operations

Date Completed: 5-7-96

CONTENT

The bill would amend the Michigan Election Law to revise the Election Law’s provisions regarding absent voter ballots for armed services personnel.

Currently, the Election Law prescribes the circumstances under which absent voters are eligible to receive absent voter ballots. Eligible absent voters do not include persons who have moved to another state and no longer maintain an actual residence in Michigan, except for former Michigan residents living in the District of Columbia or serving in the U.S. army, navy, merchant marine, marine corps, or air force. Further, any civilian employee of the armed services outside of the United States (or any member of his or her immediate family), any member of the armed services (or member of his or her immediate family), or any citizen of the United States temporarily residing outside its territorial limits (and a spouse or dependent residing with or accompanying such a person), who is a qualified elector of any Michigan city or township but is not registered for voting, may apply for an absent voter ballot at the time of making application to register by mail.

The bill would require the State elections director (in the Department of State), pursuant to the Federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, to approve a ballot form and registration procedure for electors in the “armed services” and electors outside the United States, including spouses and dependents who accompany those electors. “Armed services” would mean the U.S. army, navy, air force, marine corps, coast guard, merchant marines, or a reserve component of any of these services; or the Michigan National Guard.

Further, the bill provides that a member of the armed services or a civilian employee of the armed services, outside of the United States, and any accompanying spouse or dependent, would be registered to vote in a special primary or special general election if registered to vote in the primary or general election that immediately preceded the special election. A city or township clerk who received such a person’s completed registration forms for the primary or general election would have to forward to the person’s last known address an absent voter ballot for the special election, immediately after he or she received the ballots for the special election.

MCL 168.758 & 168.759a Legislative Analyst: G. Towne

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill could result in additional costs to local governments to the extent that additional voters (if any) would qualify for absentee ballots.