RECRUIT ELECTION WORKERS
House Bill 5385
Sponsor: Rep. Lingg Brewer
Committee: Constitutional Law and Ethics
Complete to 8-24-00
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 5385 AS INTRODUCED 2-16-00
The bill would amend the Michigan Election Law to allow "service organizations," in addition to county chairs of major political parties (as currently is the case), to submit to city, township, or village clerks lists of individuals who were interested in serving as election inspectors. The bill would define "service organization" to mean either (a) a branch, lodge, or chapter of a national or state nonprofit organization that was authorized by its written constitution, charter, articles or incorporation, or bylaws to engage in a fraternal, civic, or service purpose in Michigan; or (b) a local nonprofit organization that was organized for a charitable, fraternal, civic, or service purpose, and that was not affiliated with a state or national organization, and whose constitution, charter, articles of incorporation, or bylaws contained a provision for the perpetuation of the organization as a nonprofit organization.
The bill also would allow boards of election commissioners to appoint individuals on lists submitted by service organizations as election inspectors (as the board currently may do with individuals on lists submitted by major political parties). However, unlike county chairs of major political parties, a service organization would not be allowed to challenge the appointment of election inspectors. Finally, the bill would allow someone whose name was submitted to city, township, or village clerks by a service organization as a potential election inspector and who was entitled to compensation to designate that the compensation he or she were entitled to receive be paid, instead, directly to the service organization that submitted his or her name. The designation would have to be made in writing and would have to explicitly waive the individual's right to receive compensation under the act.
MCL 168.673a et al.
Analyst: S. Ekstrom