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Bill

SB 529

Elections: campaign practices; individual circulating a petition; prohibit from being paid for each petition signature collected, and require petition circulators to be paid an hourly wage. Amends 1954 PA 116 (MCL 168.1 - 168.992) by adding secs. 483b, 544g, 590i & 957a.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Jeremy Moss

Michigan law now requires petition circulators be paid hourly wages instead of per-signature payments, potentially raising campaign costs while affecting signature collection incentives.

referred to Committee on Election Integrity
#constitutionalamendments:state #elections:campaignpractices #elections:initiativeandreferendum #elections:offenses #elections:petitions #elections:recall
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Bill Summary · SB 529

Legislative bill overview

SB 529 prohibits paying petition circulators based on the number of signatures they collect and instead requires them to be paid an hourly wage. The bill amends Michigan's election law by adding new sections to establish this compensation structure for individuals who circulate petitions for ballot initiatives and other electoral processes.

Why is this important

Petition circulation is a critical mechanism for direct democracy—allowing citizens to place measures directly on ballots. How circulators are compensated affects both the feasibility of grassroots campaigns and the potential for manipulative practices. This change could significantly impact which groups can afford to gather signatures and how signature quality is maintained.

Potential points of contention

  • Impact on grassroots campaigns: Hourly wages may increase costs for citizen-led initiatives, potentially favoring well-funded campaigns over volunteer-driven ones
  • Signature quality concerns: Per-signature payment incentivizes circulators to maximize quantity; hourly wages may reduce motivation to verify signature validity and could paradoxically lower data quality
  • Implementation complexity: Defining "hourly wage" rates, oversight mechanisms, and enforcement creates administrative burdens and potential inequality across different petition campaigns
  • First Amendment questions: Some argue compensation restrictions may implicate free speech rights associated with petition circulation as political expression

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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