The bill amends section 558 of the Michigan election law, requiring candidates filing for various offices to submit an affidavit of identity along with their nominating petitions, filing fees, or affidavits of candidacy. Notably, candidates nominated at political party conventions or caucuses must now file this affidavit no later than one business day after their nomination. The affidavit must include the candidate's name, residential address, citizenship status, the title of the office sought, political party affiliation (if applicable), and other relevant information. Additionally, if a candidate's name has changed, they must provide their full former name unless the name change occurred over ten years ago or was due to marriage or divorce.

The bill also stipulates that the affidavit must contain a signed and notarized statement confirming that all required campaign finance documents have been filed or paid, and acknowledges that false statements in the affidavit constitute perjury, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000. Furthermore, if a candidate files for multiple offices, they must select one office within three days after the filing deadline, or they will be disqualified from all offices for which they filed. The bill emphasizes that violations related to perjury are separate from violations of the Michigan campaign finance act.

Statutes affected:
House Introduced Bill: 168.558