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SB 1110

Elections: petitions; process for counting duplicate petition signatures; provide for, and eliminate penalties. Amends secs. 482, 590h, 685, 957 & 958 of 1954 PA 116 (MCL 168.482 et seq.); adds secs. 482f & 547 & repeals sec. 547a of 1954 PA 116 (MCL 168.547a).

2023-2024 Regular Session Introduced by Jeff Irwin and 1 co-sponsor

SB 1110 counts only the first valid signature when duplicates appear on petitions (initiative, referenda, candidates, party petitions), with standardized forms and circulator rules

referred to Committee on Elections
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Bill Summary · SB 1110

SB 1110 — Summary (Petitions: counting duplicate signatures; petition form and circulator rules)

Status: Referred to Committee on Elections. Introduced: Feb. 5, 2025. Effective date (as reported): 90 days after enactment. Fiscal impact: nonpartisan analyses report no state or local fiscal impact.

Purpose / intent

SB 1110 revises Michigan Election Law rules for petition forms, petition circulators, and how duplicate petition signatures are treated. The bill’s stated goals are to clarify petition documentation, reduce signature-counting disputes, and address incentives for fraudulent or misleading signature collection.

Key provisions

  • Count only first valid signature when duplicates occur

    • For initiative/referendum petitions, nominating petitions, qualifying petitions for candidates without party affiliation, petitions to form a new State political party, and recall petitions: if the same elector’s signature appears more than once, only that elector’s first valid signature is counted. (New MCL sections added: 482f and 547; existing sections amended including MCL 168.482, 168.590h, 168.685, 168.957, 168.958.)
    • Repeals previous Section 547a (the older rule on how to count a voter’s signatures when they signed for more candidates than seats available).

  • Standardized petition form and content (Secretary of State / Board of State Canvassers)

    • Requires the Secretary of State (with Board approval) to create a petition form and the Bureau of Elections to publish a digitally editable model.
    • Prescribes elements a form must include: sponsor area, signature table (signature, printed name, street address/rural route, city/township, ZIP code, county, date), an identification statement as required by the Michigan Campaign Finance Act, and full text of the proposed measure on the reverse (or a fold-over continuation).
    • Allows sponsors to include union symbols, bar codes, QR codes or website links in the designated sponsor area; requires website links for full text where applicable.

  • Petition circulator certification and warnings

    • Requires a petition circulator certification on the form (certifying age, citizenship, that signatures were collected in the circulator’s presence, and lack of knowledge of duplicate signing).
    • Modifies printed warnings and petition heading language to align with the new duplicate-signature counting rule; clarifies content for party-formation petitions.
    • Requires petitions to indicate whether the circulator is paid or a volunteer and to state that signatures gathered in violation of circulator rules are invalid.

  • Board sampling authority and procedural details (as reported in substitute)

    • Allows the Board of State Canvassers to use Board‑approved statistical random sampling methods to determine signature validity and compliance (notably for petitions to form a new political party).

  • Penalties and enforcement

    • The bill reorganizes misdemeanor and felony penalty language related to improper signing and circulation. (Related bills in the package—SB 1108 and SB 1109—address circulator pay methods and circulator duties; SB 1109 would create a civil fine up to $1,500 for certain violations.)

Who is affected

  • Petition sponsors and ballot‑measure advocates (must use/comply with standardized form elements).
  • Petition circulators (new certification, form disclosures, and enhanced form warnings).
  • Candidates (nominating and qualifying petitions).
  • Political parties seeking new-party status (petition-content, counting, and Board sampling changes).
  • Voters (duplicate signatures handled by counting first valid instance only).

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Bill amends multiple sections of 1954 PA 116 (Michigan Election Law) and adds sections 482f and 547 while repealing section 547a.
  • Committee and floor actions: the bill was reported with substitutes in the Senate (substitute versions revised form and additional technical rules). It was passed by the Senate (substitute S‑2 in December 2024) and is pending committee consideration in its current legislative cycle.
  • Effective date provision in committee reports: 90 days after enactment.

For readers tracking implementation: the Secretary of State and Board of State Canvassers would be responsible for producing the approved petition form and any guidance, and the Board would determine acceptable statistical sampling methods if that authority is adopted in the final enactment.

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

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