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HB 4699

Elections: local; term of office start date for township officers; modify. Amends secs. 362 & 370 of 1954 PA 116 (MCL 168.362 & 168.370).

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Greg Alexander and 2 co-sponsors

HB 4699 shifts township terms to Dec 1 at 12:00 noon after elections and blocks oath for vacancy fills until results are certified, delaying sworn service to count late ballots.

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ELECTIONS AND ETHICS
#elections:local #townships:employeesandofficers
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Bill Summary · HB 4699

Summary — HB 4699 (2025)

Status: Passed House (with immediate effect 9/3/2025); referred to Senate Committee on Elections and Ethics. Introduced: 6/26/2025. Sponsor: Rep. Joseph D. Fox. Companion: SB 609. Amends: 1954 PA 116 (Michigan Election Law), sections 362 & 370 (MCL 168.362 & 168.370).

Purpose / Intent

To shift the statutory start date for township elected officials’ terms from November 20 to December 1 (at 12:00 noon) following the election and to prevent individuals elected to fill vacancies from taking the oath of office until election results are certified. The change aims to allow adequate time to receive and count late-arriving absentee ballots (e.g., military/overseas ballots) before new officers assume duties.

Key provisions

  • Changes term start date:
    • Current law: township officers’ terms commence at 12:00 noon on November 20 after the election (for officers elected before Jan 1, 2025).
    • HB 4699: for township officers elected after December 31, 2024, terms commence at precisely 12:00 noon on December 1 following the election.
  • Vacancy / oath of office:
    • Regardless of any ordinance or resolution to the contrary, an individual elected to fill a vacancy may not take the oath of office until the results have been certified by the appropriate board of canvassers.
    • Other vacancy-filling procedures (appointment by township board, county board of election commissioners’ temporary appointments, and special election timing) remain in place.
  • Qualification / vacancies:
    • Officers must qualify before assuming duties. Failure to qualify by January 1 following election continues to create a vacancy to be filled under existing law.
  • Applicability:
    • Affects all township officers listed under MCL 168.358 (e.g., supervisor, clerk, treasurer, trustees, and other elected township positions).

Rationale / Impact

  • Practical effect: delays the earliest possible date new township officials may assume office by 11–12 days for November elections.
  • Intended to reduce situations where officials are sworn in before all legally cast ballots (including certain military/overseas ballots) can be counted.
  • No fiscal impact on state or local governments per House Fiscal Agency.

Legislative / Procedural notes

  • Committee discussion cited testimony from municipal and county clerks and election-related organizations supporting the bills to ensure all votes can be processed before sworn service begins.
  • House actions: introduced 6/26/2025; reported favorably by committee 7/15/2025; passed House with immediate effect 9/3/2025 (Roll Call #185 — 105–0).
  • Referred to Senate Committee on Elections and Ethics for further consideration.

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

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