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HB 4356

Elections: election officials; procedure to remove certain electors listed on the qualified voter file who have not recently voted; provide for. Amends sec. 509bb of 1954 PA 116 (MCL 168.509bb).

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Brian BeGole and 6 co-sponsors

The bill authorizes canceling registrations of inactive electors (8+ years inactive) after notice and a response window, preserving registration if they engage.

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ELECTIONS AND ETHICS
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Bill Summary · HB 4356

Summary — HB 4356 (2025) — Amend MCL 168.509bb: removal of inactive electors from the qualified voter file

Status: Passed House (June 12, 2025); referred to Committee on Elections and Ethics (June 17, 2025). Introduced Mar 11, 2025. Sponsor: Rep. Mike Hoadley.

Purpose / intent

HB 4356 amends Michigan Election Law (MCL 168.509bb) to create a notice-and-confirmation process for registered electors who have not voted for an extended period, allowing state election officials to identify and cancel registrations of inactive electors after specified notice and opportunity-to-respond steps.

Key provisions

  • Who is targeted: Registered electors who have not voted for 8 years or more (substitute adopted by the House changed an earlier 10‑year threshold to 8 years).
  • Timing: Not later than 180 days after each general November election (general November elections = even-numbered years), the Secretary of State must mail to each targeted elector, by forwardable mail, both:
    • A postage-prepaid, preaddressed return card to the appropriate city or township clerk for the elector to verify their current address and sign; and
    • A prescribed notice informing the elector of their inactivity and telling them how to retain registration (text of the notice is specified in the bill).
  • Response window and actions that preserve registration: To keep registration, an elector must (by the first business day after the second general November election held after the date on the notice) do one of the following:
    • Return the signed card,
    • Vote, or
    • Engage in voting-related activity (e.g., request an absent voter ballot application, update registration). This language effectively provides up to two subsequent general elections (roughly four years) after the notice for the elector to respond or engage.
  • Signature verification and challenged registrations:
    • When a city/township clerk receives a returned card, they must compare the card signature to the signature on the qualified voter file.
    • If signatures do not match, the clerk must mark the registration as “challenged” under existing law, notify the elector, and explain how to cure the challenge.
  • Undeliverable mail: If a notice is returned undeliverable, the Secretary must mark the registration as challenged. If the elector fails to respond or engage in the required activity by the deadline, the Secretary must cancel the registration and notify the local clerk.
  • Retained prohibition: The bill retains the general rule that a clerk shall not cancel a registration solely because the elector failed to vote.

Who is affected

  • Primary: Registered Michigan electors who have not voted for 8+ years.
  • Agencies/officials: Secretary of State (responsible for mailings, tracking, cancellations) and city/township clerks (to receive cards, compare signatures, and process challenges).
  • Local governments: The bill states it would not have a significant fiscal impact on local units of government.

Fiscal impact

House Fiscal Agency estimates first-year Department of State costs for mailings of either $369,000 (postcard mailers) or $585,000 (full-size mailers). Ongoing annual costs would decline to ~$37,000 or $59,000 depending on mail format. Costs can be borne within the Department’s ongoing budget.

Procedural/timeline notes

  • Mailings required within 180 days after each general November election.
  • Elector retains registration if they respond, vote, or otherwise engage by the first business day after the second general November election following the notice (i.e., roughly a four-year window).
  • Bill amends section 509bb of the Michigan Election Law and was passed by the House with immediate effect before referral to the Senate committee.

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

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