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HB 5972

Elections: voting procedures; voter access and assistance provisions; provide for. Amends secs. 726, 736 & 751 of 1954 PA 116 (MCL 168.726 et seq.); adds secs. 653c, 653d, 653e, 726a & 753a & repeals sec. 579 of 1954 PA 116 (MCL 168.579). TIE BAR WITH: HB 5969'26, HB 5971'26

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Noah Arbit and 36 co-sponsors

HB 5972 expands voter access and transparency by requiring local governments to promptly notify the Secretary of State about major election changes and actions, with accessible pub

bill electronically reproduced 05/13/2026
#elections:electionofficials #elections:pollingplaces #elections:voters #elections:votingprocedures
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Bill Summary · HB 5972

Overview

HB 5972 (Michigan, 2025-2026) amends the Michigan Election Law (1954 PA 116) to expand voter access, voting assistance, transparency of election-related notices, and coordination with local governments. It introduces new notice requirements to the Secretary of State (SOS) about changes to election administration, voting equipment access, polling locations, and other election-related actions, with a broad set of triggers effective January 1, 2028. The bill also adds detailed voting assistance procedures for voters who cannot enter polling places, expands language and accessibility provisions, and allows food/warmth provisions for voters in line under certain conditions. It ties enactment to passage of companion bills (HB 5969 and HB 5971) in the same legislative package.

Purpose and Intent

  • Improve voter access and assistance, particularly for voters with disabilities, limited English proficiency, or those who require help to vote.
  • Increase transparency of election administration by requiring advance notices to the SOS about major changes or events in local government election administration.
  • Ensure explicit procedures for voting assistance, equipment viewing, absentee/early voting changes, and electoral audits or system selections.
  • Provide protections and oversight around the voting environment (e.g., food/necessities for voters in line) while preserving the integrity of the voting process.

Key Provisions and Changes

New and Amended Notice Requirements (Sec. 653c, 653d, 653e)

  • Sec. 653c:

    • Local governments must notify SOS within 20 days of approving ballot language changes affecting winner determination, shifts between at-large and district-based elections, or reorganizations under home rule/charter provisions.
    • Local governments must notify SOS at least 20 days before starting a program to remove electors from registration (except certain routine cancellations).
    • SOS must post notices within 5 days of receipt, ensuring accessibility for people with disabilities and limited English proficiency.
    • If a notice is not submitted, SOS will publicly list the violation (alphabetical, with dates) on its website, and the listing must remain for 1 year.
    • Temporary suspension during state emergencies; post-emergency, notices resume.
    • These subsections take effect Jan 1, 2028, with pre-implementation consultation planned.

  • Sec. 653d:

    • Local governments must notify SOS within 5 business days after certain requests or actions, including viewing/voting equipment, inspecting ballots, approvals/denials of challenger authorization, and challenges to elector registration.
    • SOS must post notices promptly, with accessibility considerations.
    • Violation postings and 1-year retention as above.
    • Emergency suspension and 2028 effective date; consultation prior to enactment.

  • Sec. 653e:

    • SOS must provide notice of changes to polling place locations, voting hours/days (including early voting), absent voting hours/locations, early voting plans, election audit results, voting system selections, and absent voter counting boards, plus district changes within local governments.
    • Notices to be posted promptly and accessible; effective Jan 1, 2028, with pre-enactment consultations.

Voting Assistance and Accessibility (Sec. 726a)

  • If a voter cannot enter a polling place or early voting site and requests assistance:

    • Two election inspectors from different parties must deliver and supervise the ballot to the voter outside the polling place, using a secrecy sleeve.
    • Inspectors must return the ballot inside the secrecy sleeve and then deposit it into the tabulator in a manner preserving secrecy.
    • If the ballot is accepted, one inspector informs the voter of acceptance; if rejected, two inspectors offer spoilage/a new ballot.
    • The assisting voter remains subject to all applicable voting rights and procedures.

  • A sign must be posted outside polling places during voting hours advertising a help line for assistance.

  • The provision takes effect Jan 1, 2028.

Other Provisions and Clarifications

  • Sec. 726 (General ballot handling) and Sec. 736 (General voting rules) reference traditional ballot distribution and voter explanation rights, maintaining established structures but within the broader reform context.
  • Sec. 751 (Assistance in marking ballots) preserves existing rights for assistance to voters who cannot mark their ballot, allowing family or designated individuals to assist, and clarifies language assistance rights to ensure compliance with federal law (including the Voting Rights Act).
  • Sec. 753a (In/line voter support) authorizes individuals to provide food, warmth, or necessities to voters in line, with a duty not to interfere with voting and with clerks able to stop interference.

Enactment Conditions

  • The act enacting sections 1 and 2 is contingent on the enactment of two other bills in the 103rd Legislature (HB 5969 and HB 5971) or their Senate counterparts, indicating a bundled package.

Who Is Affected

  • Local governments (cities, townships, villages) responsible for election administration and notice to SOS.
  • Secretary of State (Michigan) tasked with timely posting of notices, accessibility requirements, and public postings of violations.
  • Voters, particularly:
    • Those seeking voting equipment access or ballot viewing.
    • Electors requesting assistance at polling places or early voting sites.
    • Voters needing language or other accommodations.
    • Voters queued or in line who may benefit from food/warmth provisions.
  • Election workers and inspectors, who must implement new assistance procedures and notice-related duties.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Effective dates for most new notice and assistance provisions: January 1, 2028.
  • Pre-enactment consultation: SOS must consult with county clerks associations, municipal clerks associations, and at least two voting rights advocates before 2028.
  • Notices to SOS must be posted to the SOS website promptly (within 5 days after receipt, where applicable) and must be accessible.
  • Violations of notice requirements are publicly listed for at least 1 year.
  • Emergency state law suspensions allowed for notice requirements during declared emergencies, with restoration after termination.

Summary

HB 5972 aims to modernize and increase transparency in Michigan's election administration, expand voter access and assistance, and clarify procedures around voting equipment, polling locations, and related activities. It imposes new notice requirements on local governments to inform the SOS of major changes and operational actions, creates standardized, accessible posting of those notices, and provides specific voting assistance protocols for voters outside polling places. It also authorizes non-interfering in-line food/necessities provisions for voters. Many provisions are set to take effect in 2028, with interim consultations and a bundled enactment pathway tied to companion bills HB 5969 and HB 5971.

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

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