UNIFORM SERVICE MEMBER ABSENTEE BALLOT S.B. 8 (S-1) & 311 (S-1):
SUMMARY OF BILL
REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE
Senate Bill 8 (Substitute S-1 as reported)
Senate Bill 311 (Substitute S-1 as reported)
Sponsor: Senator Paul Wojno (S.B. 8)
Senator Ruth A. Johnson (S.B. 311)
CONTENT
Senate Bill 8 (S-1) would amend the Michigan Election Law to define "United States Department of Defense verified electronic signature" as the certificate-based digital identification code issued to qualified personnel by the US Department of Defense as part of the Common Access Card, or its successor.
Senate Bill 311 (S-1) would amend the Michigan Election Law to do the following:
-- Allow a member of a uniformed service on active duty or a member of the Merchant Marine, by reason of being on active duty, absent from the US, and otherwise qualified to vote, to electronically return a voted ballot to the appropriate city or township clerk.
-- Require the Secretary of State (SOS) to promulgate rules that would establish policies and procedures for the electronic return of voted ballots by eligible members.
-- Require the SOS to require an eligible member to use a US Department of Defense verified electronic signature in order to electronically return a voted ballot.
-- Require the SOS to promulgate rules to implement the bill by January 1, 2022.
-- Require the SOS to allow the electronic return of voted ballots by eligible members starting no later than the 2022 August primary elections.
The bills are tie-barred.
Proposed MCL 168.18a (S.B. 8) Legislative Analyst: Dana Adams
MCL 168.759a (S.B. 311)
FISCAL IMPACT
Senate Bill 8 (S-1) would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.
Senate Bill 311 (S-1) could have a negative fiscal impact in the form of additional costs for the Department of State to promulgate rules to develop policies and procedures for the electronic return of voted ballots by eligible members. The bill also would authorize the Department to develop and maintain a secure web portal on its website to facilitate the electronic return of voted ballots by eligible members. The Department's costs to promulgate rules likely would be minimal and would be absorbed within its annual appropriations. The costs for developing a web portal could require additional appropriations; however, the bill would make this optional for the Department. The Department's ability to absorb the cost within current appropriations would depend on the actual costs of developing the web portal and on its capabilities to add this portal to its current website.