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SB-964, As Passed Senate, June 16, 2026
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SENATE BILL NO. 964
A bill to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled
"Michigan election law,"
by amending sections 726, 736, and 751 (MCL 168.726, 168.736, and
168.751), and by adding sections 653c, 653d, 653e, 726a, and 753a;
and to repeal acts and parts of acts.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 653c. (1) Except as otherwise provided under subsection 1
(5), a local government shall provide notice as set forth in this 2
section to the secretary of state not later than 20 days after the 3
May 13, 2026, Introduced by Senators GEISS, CAMILLERI, CHANG, MOSS, SANTANA,
CAVANAGH, SINGH, SHINK, KLINEFELT, POLEHANKI, BRINKS, IRWIN, WOJNO,
BAYER, CHERRY, HERTEL, MCCANN and ANTHONY and referred to Committee on
Elections and Ethics.
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governing body of that local government approves the ballot 1
language related to any of the following: 2
(a) Any change to the method of how the winner of an election 3
is determined. 4
(b) Any change from an at-large method of election to a 5
district-based method of election or from a district-based method 6
of election to an at-large method of election. 7
(c) Any governmental reorganization under, but not limited to, 8
any of the following: 9
(i) The home rule city act, 1909 PA 279, MCL 117.1 to 117.38. 10
(ii) The charter township act, 1947 PA 359, MCL 42.1 to 42.34. 11
(iii) The home rule village act, 1909 PA 278, MCL 78.1 to 78.28. 12
(2) Except as otherwise provided under subsection (5), a local 13
government shall provide notice as set forth in this section to the 14
secretary of state at least 20 days before the clerk of that local 15
government starts a program to remove electors from the voter 16
registration records, other than for the canceling of the voter 17
registration of an elector in accordance with section 509aa, the 18
canceling of the voter registration of a deceased elector in 19
accordance with section 510, or the canceling of the voter 20
registration of an elector in accordance with section 511. 21
(3) The secretary of state shall prescribe the form of the 22
notice required under subsections (1) and (2). As soon as 23
practicable, but no later than 5 days after receiving notice from a 24
local government under subsection (1) or (2), the secretary of 25
state shall post the notice on the department of state's website 26
and ensure that the posting is made available and accessible to 27
individuals with disabilities and individuals with limited English 28
proficiency. 29
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(4) If a local government fails to submit a required notice 1
under this section to the secretary of state by the deadline, the 2
secretary of state shall post that violation on a visible portion 3
of the department of state's website that is not archived and is 4
updated at least every 30 days with additional information. The 5
name of each local government that fails to submit a required 6
notice under this section must be listed in alphabetical order on 7
the department of state's website. The information posted by the 8
secretary of state on the department of state's website regarding a 9
notice violation must include the name of the local government, the 10
notice required under this section that was not submitted by the 11
local government, the date of the violation by the local 12
government, and the date the notice was submitted by the local 13
government, or an indication that the required notice was never 14
submitted by the local government. The secretary of state shall not 15
remove the posted information regarding a notice violation by a 16
local government under this section until 1 year after the date of 17
the notice violation. Nothing in this subsection removes the 18
obligation for a local government to comply with all notice 19
requirements under this section. 20
(5) If a state of emergency affecting a local government is 21
declared under state law, the notice requirements under this 22
section are temporarily suspended for that local government 23
starting on the date that the state of emergency is declared and 24
continuing for the period of time that the state of emergency is in 25
effect. On the date that the state of emergency is terminated for 26
that local government, the temporary suspension of the notice 27
requirements under this section is terminated, and the local 28
government is obligated to provide any notices the local government 29
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would have been required to provide while the state of emergency 1
was in effect. 2
(6) Subsections (1) to (5) take effect January 1, 2028. Before 3
January 1, 2028, the secretary of state shall consult with the 4
Michigan Association of County Clerks, the Michigan Association of 5
Municipal Clerks, and at least 2 voting rights advocates regarding 6
the implementation of subsections (1) to (5). 7
(7) As used in this section, "at-large method of election" and 8
"district-based method of election" mean those terms as defined in 9
section 3 of the state voting rights act. 10
Sec. 653d. (1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (4), 11
a local government shall provide notice to the secretary of state 12
of any of the following as set forth in this section: 13
(a) No later than 5 business days after receiving and before 14
complying with a request from any individual to view, inspect, take 15
possession of, or copy voting equipment. As used in this 16
subdivision, "voting equipment" means a tabulator, physical or 17
digital data, voter assist terminal, early voting poll book, 18
electronic poll book, paper poll book, or any other equipment 19
approved by the secretary of state or the board of state canvassers 20
for use at an election. 21
(b) No later than 5 business days after receiving and before 22
complying with a request from any individual to view, inspect, or 23
copy ballots from more than 25% of the total votes cast in any 24
election held in the local government. 25
(c) Not less than 14 days before an election, a list of any 26
organization or committee as to which authorization to appoint 27
challengers has been approved or denied under section 731. 28
(d) No later than 5 business days after receiving and before 29
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acting on a challenge made by an elector of the local government to 1
the registration of an elector under section 512. 2
(2) As soon as practicable, but no later than 5 days after 3
receiving notice from a local government under subsection (1), the 4
secretary of state shall post the notice on the department of 5
state's website and ensure that the posting is made available and 6
accessible to individuals with disabilities and individuals with 7
limited English proficiency. 8
(3) If a local government fails to submit a required notice 9
under this section to the secretary of state by the deadline, the 10
secretary of state shall post that violation on a visible portion 11
of the department of state's website that is not archived and is 12
updated at least every 30 days with additional information. The 13
name of each local government that fails to submit a required 14
notice under this section must be listed in alphabetical order on 15
the department of state's website. The information posted by the 16
secretary of state on the department of state's website regarding a 17
notice violation must include the name of the local government, the 18
notice required under this section that was not submitted by the 19
local government, the date of the violation by the local 20
government, and the date the notice was submitted by the local 21
government, or an indication that the required notice was never 22
submitted by the local government. The secretary of state shall not 23
remove the posted information regarding a notice violation by a 24
local government under this section until 1 year after the date of 25
the notice violation. Nothing in this subsection removes the 26
obligation for a local government to comply with all notice 27
requirements under this section. 28
(4) If a state of emergency affecting a local government is 29
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declared under state law, the notice requirements under this 1
section are temporarily suspended for that local government 2
starting on the date that the state of emergency is declared and 3
continuing for the period of time that the state of emergency is in 4
effect. On the date that the state of emergency is terminated for 5
that local government, the temporary suspension of the notice 6
requirements under this section is terminated, and the local 7
government is obligated to provide any notices the local government 8
would have been required to provide while the state of emergency 9
was in effect. 10
(5) Subsections (1) to (4) take effect January 1, 2028. Before 11
January 1, 2028, the secretary of state shall consult with the 12
Michigan Association of County Clerks, the Michigan Association of 13
Municipal Clerks, and at least 2 voting rights advocates regarding 14
the implementation of subsections (1) to (4). 15
Sec. 653e. (1) The secretary of state shall provide notice of 16
any of the following as set forth in this section: 17
(a) Any change to the location of a polling place, absent 18
voter ballot drop box, or other voting location within a local 19
government. 20
(b) Any change to the hours or days available for voting, 21
including early voting, as compared to a previous election for the 22
same or a similar office. 23
(c) Any change to the hours or locations for absent voting 24
under section 761b. 25
(d) Any early voting plan, or any amendments to an early 26
voting plan, under section 720h. 27
(e) The results of any election audit conducted under section 28
31a. 29
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(f) The selection of a voting system under section 37a. 1
(g) Any agreement to establish an absent voter counting board 2
under section 764d. 3
(h) The governing body of a local government approves a change 4
to a district within that local government under, but not limited 5
to, any of the following: 6
(i) 1966 PA 261, MCL 46.401 to 46.416. 7
(ii) Section 5 of 1966 PA 293, MCL 45.505. 8
(iii) Section 27a of the home rule city act, 1909 PA 279, MCL 9
117.27a. 10
(2) As soon as practicable, but not later than 5 days after 11
the secretary of state is notified of any occurrence under 12
subsection (1), the secretary of state shall post the notice on the 13
department of state's website and ensure that the posting is made 14
available and accessible to individuals with disabilities and 15
individuals with limited English proficiency. 16
(3) Subsections (1) and (2) take effect January 1, 2028. 17
Before January 1, 2028, the secretary of state shall consult with 18
the Michigan Association of County Clerks, the Michigan Association 19
of Municipal Clerks, and at least 2 voting rights advocates 20
regarding the implementation of subsections (1) and (2). 21
Sec. 726. No ballots shall Except as otherwise provided in 22
this act, a ballot must not be delivered to an elector by any 23
person individual other than 1 of the election inspectors of 24
election and only within in the polling place. , except as provided 25
in this act for absent voters' ballots. 26
Sec. 726a. (1) If an elector is unable to enter a polling 27
place or early voting site, and that elector asks the county, city, 28
or township clerk or precinct board of election inspectors to 29
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provide voting assistance, the voting assistance must be provided 1
as set forth in subsection (3). 2
(2) During the hours voting is available to electors at a 3
polling place or early voting site, a sign must be displayed 4
outside of that polling place or early voting site that states the 5
following: 6
"If you need voting assistance, please call 7
_____________________." 8
(3) Subject to subsection (4), when the election inspectors at 9
a polling place or early voting site become aware that an elector 10
needing voting assistance as described in subsection (1) is outside 11
of the polling place or early voting site and wishes to cast a 12
ballot, the following procedure must be used: 13
(a) Two election inspectors from different political parties 14
must deliver the ballot inside a secrecy sleeve to the elector who 15
is outside of the polling place or early voting site. 16
(b) After the elector has marked the ballot and placed the 17
ballot back into the secrecy sleeve, the election inspectors must 18
immediately return to the polling place or early voting site and 19
deposit the ballot into the tabulator in a manner that protects the 20
secrecy of the ballot to the greatest extent possible. 21
(c) If the ballot is accepted by the tabulator, 1 election 22
inspector, regardless of political party affiliation, must return 23
to the elector who is outside of the polling place or early voting 24
site and indicate to the elector that the elector's ballot was 25
accepted by the tabulator and was tabulated. If the ballot is 26
rejected by the tabulator, 2 election inspectors from different 27
political parties must return to the elector who is outside of the 28
polling place or early voting site and give that elector the 29
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opportunity to have the ballot considered a spoiled ballot and to 1
vote another ballot. 2
(4) Except as provided in this section, an elector who votes a 3
ballot at a polling place or early voting site under the procedure 4
described in subsection (3) is subject to all of the requirements, 5
and has all of the rights, that apply to electors who vote inside 6
the polling place or early voting site. 7
(5) This section takes effect January 1, 2028. 8
Sec. 736. When If an elector applying to vote shall is not be 9
challenged, or, if having been challenged, if the answers to the 10
questions asked him the elector while under oath as to his the 11
elector's qualifications shall show that he the elector is a 12
qualified elector at that poll, he shall the elector must be 13
permitted to vote. The election inspector having charge of the 14
ballots shall deliver to said the elector 1 of each kind of said 15
ballots the ballot to be voted at the election. All the ballots so 16
given to an elector applying to vote shall bear the same number, 17
beginning, for the first elector to whom ballots are given, with 18
the lowest numbered ballots, the next higher number for the second 19
such elector, and so on. On request of the elector, an election 20
inspector may give an explanation of the manner of voting, and if 21
by the board deemed of election inspectors considers it necessary, 22
an interpreter may be called. , but the An elector shall must not 23
be otherwise be assisted in the marking of his the elector's 24
ballot, except as otherwise provided in this act. for assisted 25
electors. 26
Sec. 751. (1) When If at an election an elector shall state 27
states that the elector cannot mark his or her the elector's 28
ballot, the elector shall must be assisted in the marking of his or 29
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her the elector's ballot by 2 election inspectors. of election. 1
(2) If an elector is so disabled on account of blindness, the 2
elector may be assisted in the marking of his or her the elector's 3
ballot by a member of his or her the elector's immediate family or 4
by a person an individual over 18 years of age designated by the 5
blind person.elector. 6
(3) Beginning on the effective date of the amendatory act that 7
added this subsection, an elector may seek language assistance from 8
an individual the elector chooses in order to exercise the 9
elector's right to vote. 10
(4) Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to conflict 11
with federal law or suggest that voters have fewer rights than 12
granted under federal law, including, but not limited to, section 13
208 of the voting rights act of 1965, 52 USC 10508. 14
Sec. 753a. (1) Subject to section 744 and subsections (2) and 15
(3), an individual may provide food, warmth, or other necessities 16
to electors who are in line to vote inside or outside of the 17
building in which a polling place, an early voting site, or a city 18
or township clerk's office is located. 19
(2) An individual who provides food, warmth, or other 20
necessities to electors as described under subsection (1) must not 21
interfere with the voting process. 22
(3) The appropriate clerk may direct an individual who is 23
providing food, warmth, or other necessities to electors under 24
subsection (1) to immediately cease providing food, warmth, or 25
other necessities to electors if the clerk determines that the 26
individual is interfering with the voting process or is interfering 27
with the clerk's ability to maintain peace, regularity, and order 28
at the polling place, early voting site, or city or township 29
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clerk's office where that food, warmth, or other necessities are 1
being provided to electors. 2
Enacting section 1. Section 579 of the Michigan election law, 3
1954 PA 116, MCL 168.579, is repealed. 4
Enacting section 2. This amendatory act does not take effect 5
unless all of the following bills of the 103rd Legislature are 6
enacted into law: 7
(a) Senate Bill No. 961. 8
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(b) Senate Bill No. 963. 10