HB 4356

substitute for
House BILL NO. 4356
A bill to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled
"Michigan election law,"
by amending section 509bb (MCL 168.509bb), as added by
1994 PA 441.
the peoplE of the state of michigan enact:
Sec. 509bb. (1) A
clerk shall not cancel or cause the cancellation of the registration of a voter an elector from
the registration record of the city or township based solely upon on that
registered voter's elector's
failure to vote.
(2) Not later than 180 days after each general November election, the
secretary of state shall, for each registered elector who has failed to vote
for 8 years or more, regardless of the reason for the failure to vote, send by
forwardable mail both of the following to the elector:
(a) A postage prepaid and preaddressed return card to the appropriate
city or township clerk on which the elector may verify the elector's current
address information and on which the elector must sign the elector's name.
(b) A notice that contains the following statement:
"Secretary of state records indicate that you have failed to vote
for 8 years or more. To confirm your status as a registered voter, please
complete, sign, and return the enclosed card providing your current address to
the appropriate city or township clerk at least 15 days before the next
election. If you do not complete, sign, and return the enclosed card to the
appropriate city or township clerk at least 15 days before the next election,
you will be required to affirm your current address at the polls before you are
permitted to vote. To keep your status as a registered voter, you must respond
to this notice, vote, or engage in voting-related activity, including, but not
limited to, requesting an absent voter ballot application or updating your
voter registration, by the first business day after the second general November
election that is held after the date on this notice.".
(3) Upon receipt of a return card under subsection (2) from an elector,
the appropriate city or township clerk shall compare the signature on the
return card to the signature for that elector on the qualified voter file. If
the signature on the return card and the signature for that elector on the
qualified voter file do not match, the city or township clerk shall identify
the registration record of that elector as challenged as provided in this act.
The city or township clerk shall notify the elector that the elector's
signature on the return card did not match the signature for that elector on
the qualified voter file and that the elector's registration record is
considered challenged. The notice to the elector under this subsection must
include the steps the elector must take in order to no longer have the
elector's registration record considered to be challenged.
(4) If a
notice sent under subsection (2) is returned to the secretary of state by the
post office as undeliverable, the secretary of state shall identify the
registration record of that elector as challenged as provided in this act. If
the elector does not vote or engage in voting-related activity by the first business day after the second general
November election that is held after the date on the notice, the secretary of
state shall cancel the registration of that elector and notify the appropriate
city or township clerk of the cancellation.