Senate Elections and Ethics Committee to hear testimony TODAY on legislation to update Michigan election law
LANSING, Mich. (September 27, 2023) — Sen. Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield), chair of the Senate Elections and Ethics Committee, recently introduced Senate Bill 529 to make Michigan compliant with recent updates to the federal Electoral Count Reform Act (ECRA).
SB 529, which will be brought up for a committee hearing today at 3:00 p.m. in the Binsfeld Office Building, would detail the ministerial duties following the presidential election to ensure the winner of Michigan’s presidential election is the certified recipient of the electoral college votes our state sends to Congress.
“During the 2020 election, unlawful actors here in Michigan and in states across the country attempted to obfuscate the certification process in order to benefit their losing candidate and subvert the will of the people,” Sen. Moss said. “Their plot failed and spurred bipartisan Congressional action to ward off chaos in future elections. Now we must strengthen Michigan’s elections procedures to uplift Michigan voters and disavow crazed legal theories.”
The legislation clarifies the procedures and timeline for casting and counting the electoral college vote by:
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Mandating the governor issue a certificate of ascertainment of appointment of electors not less than six days before the electors convene in December following the election.
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Requiring a ballot cast by an eligible elector shall not be rejected or not counted on the grounds that an election official failed to comply with a mandatory directive in this act unless explicitly stated otherwise.
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Shortening the time frame the state board of canvassers has to complete their canvass and announce the board’s determination to no later than the twentieth day after the election.
The introduction of this legislation comes after Michigan was at the center of a pressure campaign directed at state legislators, canvassers, and other election officials to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
WHO: Sen. Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield), Chair, and other Members of the Senate Elections and Ethics Committee State election experts and advocates
WHAT: The Senate Committee on Elections and Ethics will be holding its first hearing on legislation to update the state’s election law in alignment with federal law.
WHEN: TODAY, Wednesday, September 27, 2023, at 3:00 p.m.
WHERE: Senate Binsfeld Office Building, Room 1300, 201 Townsend St., Lansing, MI 48933; The hearing will also be livestreamed on Michigan Senate TV.