January 23, 2007, Introduced by Rep. Wojno and referred to the Committee on Ethics and Elections.
A bill to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled
"Michigan election law,"
by amending sections 720 and 735 (MCL 168.720 and 168.735), section
735 as amended by 2004 PA 92, and by adding section 720a.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec.
720. (1) On the day of any an election,
the polls shall
be
opened open at 7 o'clock in the forenoon, a.m. and
shall be
continuously
open until 8 o'clock in the afternoon and no longer.
Every
p.m. Each qualified elector present and in line at the polls
at
the hour prescribed for the closing thereof time shall
be
allowed to vote.
(2) For early voting under section 720a, the clerk conducting
the election shall designate the hours at which the polls will open
and close. The polls shall be open not less than 8 hours each
weekday and not less than 8 hours in the aggregate each weekend
during the early voting period provided for in section 720a. Not
less than 30 days before an election, the clerk shall post at the
clerk's office the dates and hours that the polling places will be
open for early voting. The notice to the electors providing the
dates and hours for early voting shall substantially comply with
the form in section 653a.
Sec. 720a. (1) Every city, township, and village shall provide
early voting at polling places designated by the city, township, or
village clerk during the period of time set forth in this section
before an election.
(2) Early voting shall begin 15 days before each election and
end on the day before the election.
(3) The secretary of state shall cooperate with each
municipality conducting early voting and provide technical
assistance to each municipality that requests technical assistance.
(4) Before being given a ballot, each elector using early
voting shall submit to the election official in charge of the
precinct an early voter certificate in substantially the following
form:
EARLY VOTER CERTIFICATE
I certify that my name is __________________, my address is
_____________________________, my date of birth is ___________, and
I am a qualified and registered elector in this election. I
understand that if I commit or attempt to commit fraud in
connection with voting, vote a fraudulent ballot, or vote more than
once in an election I could be convicted of a felony punishable by
imprisonment for not more than 4 years or a fine of not more than
$2,000.00, or both. I understand that my failure to sign this
certificate invalidates my ballot.
__________________________
(Voter's Signature)/(Date)
(5) Except as otherwise provided, all of the following
provisions of this act apply to early voting:
(a) Election inspectors.
(b) Challenges to voters.
(c) Poll book and poll list.
(d) Notices, instructions, and placards.
(e) Security of a voting machine or other voting system.
(f) Ballot security, ballot containers, ballot counting, and
ballot preservation.
(g) Spoiled ballots.
(6) The poll book and poll list for each precinct shall be
maintained in accordance with section 735.
(7) Early voting ballots shall be processed in the same manner
as ballots cast on election day and shall not be counted until the
polls close on election day.
(8) As used in this section, "municipality" means a city,
township, or village.
Sec. 735. (1) At each primary and election, election
inspectors shall keep 1 poll book and 1 poll list. An election
inspector shall enter in the poll book, in the order in which
electors are given ballots, the name of each elector who is given a
ballot and immediately after the name, on the same line, shall
enter the number of the ballot given to the elector. For an absent
voter ballot, when an election inspector removes the ballot from
the sealed absent voter envelope, the election inspector shall
enter in the poll book the name of the absent voter and the number
of the ballot.
(2) For early voting under section 720a, the poll book shall
be divided by date and separate records shall be maintained for
each day of early voting.
(3) (2)
If an elector is issued a provisional ballot, an
election inspector shall enter a proper designation in the poll
book, including whether the provisional ballot was tabulated in the
precinct or was secured for verification after the election.
(4) (3)
At the completion of the precinct canvass, an election
inspector shall record on the certificate provided in the poll book
the number of each metal seal used to seal voting equipment and
ballot containers. Each member of the board of election inspectors
shall sign the certificate.