2015 Senate Bill 13 / Public Act 268

Eliminate straight ticket ballot option

Introduced in the Senate

Jan. 20, 2015

Introduced by Sen. Marty Knollenberg (R-13)

To eliminate the straight party ticket option from election ballots.

Referred to the Committee on Elections and Government Reform

Nov. 10, 2015

Reported without amendment

With the recommendation that the bill pass.

Amendment offered

To appropriate $1 million for the stated purpose of studying the effect of the bill if it goes into effect, but which most observers regard as a means to make the proposed law "referendum proof." A 2001 Supreme Court ruling interpreted a provision in the state constitution that prohibits referendums on appropiations bills to apply to <I>any</I> bill containing an appropriation, even a very modest one.

The amendment passed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Sen. Rebekah Warren (D-18)

To essentially repeal a law that requires a person who registers to vote by mail to show up at the polls and vote in person the first time they vote.

The amendment failed 15 to 21 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. Steve Bieda (D-9)

To eliminate the requirement that a person give a specific reason for requesting an absentee ballot.

The amendment failed 13 to 23 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. Rebekah Warren (D-18)

To allow a person to have a different address on their drivers license or state ID card than the one at which they are registered to vote.

The amendment failed 12 to 24 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. Steve Bieda (D-9)

To require the Secretary of State to develop a system for electronic online voter registration on its website.

The amendment failed 12 to 24 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. Jim Ananich (D-27)

To require and set rules for “early voting” beginning 30 days before election days.

The amendment failed 11 to 25 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. Curtis Hertel (D-23)

To strip out the modest appropriation added to make the bill "referendum proof".

The amendment failed 13 to 23 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. Coleman Young (D-1)

To tie-bar the bill to House Bill 4927, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. HB 4927 would automatically register to vote a person getting a drivers license or state I.D. for the first time.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Passed in the Senate 23 to 13 (details)

Received in the House

Dec. 1, 2015

Referred to the Committee on Elections

Dec. 8, 2015

Reported without amendment

With the recommendation that the substitute (H-2) be adopted and that the bill then pass.

Dec. 9, 2015

Amendment offered by Rep. Martin Howrylak (R-41)

To strip out the modest appropriation added to make the bill "referendum proof".

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Jeremy Moss (D-35)

To tie-bar the bill to House Bill 4779, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. HB 4779 would allow a person to vote by absentee ballot in the first election after registering to vote by mail. Current law requires that such voters show up in person the first time that they vote in a new jurisdiction.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Gretchen Driskell (D-52)

To tie-bar the bill to House Bill 4807, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. HB 4807 to make explicit in statute that a concealed pistol license is among the forms of valid photo identification for voting. Current law requires voters to show a drivers license, state ID card or “other generally recognized picture identification card”.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Robert Wittenberg (D-27)

To tie-bar the bill to House Bill 4816, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. HB 4816 would to change the deadline for voter registration from 30 days to 10 days before an election.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. LaTanya Garrett (D-7)

To establish that if enacted the bill won’t go into effect until 2017.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Henry Yanez (D-25)

To tie-bar the bill to House Bill 4053, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. HB 4053 would authorize up to one year in prison and $500 fine for promising, providing, or accepting valuable consideration to run (or not run) for a political office, not including campaign contributions.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Kristy Pagan (D-21)

To tie-bar the bill to House Bill 4799, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. HB 4799 would allow 16 and 17 year olds to "preregister" to vote when they turn 18.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Vanessa Guerra (D-95)

To tie-bar the bill to House Bill 4350, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. HB 4350 would mandate that candidates for state offices file detailed personal financial disclosure statements.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Jon Hoadley (D-60)

To tie-bar the bill to House Bill 4802, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. HB 4802 would require the Secretary of State to create a centralized registry for electors to report any errors that occur during an election.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Adam Zemke (D-55)

To tie-bar the bill to House Bill 5114, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. HB 5114 make the three regular state dates for most state elections in May, August, and November are state holidays, which among other things would probably mean that most government employees would get the day off.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Jeff Irwin (D-53)

To allow voters age 60 and older to go to the front of the line at polling places.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Jeff Irwin (D-53)

To allow voters who have a disability to go to the front of the line at polling places.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Derek Miller (D-28)

To tie-bar the bill to House Bill 4927 to 4829, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. Those bills would automatically register to vote a person getting a drivers license or state I.D. for the first time.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Jeremy Moss (D-35)

To tie-bar the bill to House Bill 4800, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. HB 4800 would accommodate a proposal to create a citizens redistricting commission to redraw congressional and legislative disticts.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Brian Banks (D-1)

To tie-bar the bill to Senate Bill 60, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. SB 60 would require and set rules for “early voting” beginning 30 days before election days.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Sam Singh (D-69)

To require that some races for nonpartisan offices appear on ballots before the partisan contests appear.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Jon Hoadley (D-60)

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Jeff Irwin (D-53)

To tie-bar the bill to House Bill 4131, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. HB 4131 would eliminate the requirement that a person give a specific reason for requesting an absentee ballot.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Sarah Roberts (D-18)

To tie-bar the bill to House Bill 4288, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. HB 4288 would require the Secretary of State to develop a system for electronic online voter registration on its website.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. George Darany (D-15)

To tie-bar the bill to House Bill 4179, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. HB 4179 would revise the requirement that a person who registers by mail and has never voted in Michigan must provide identification when voting the first time. The bill would allow the person to show up at any municipal clerk’s office before an election and show his or her ID, and would then require that clerk to notify the clerk of the appropriate jurisdiction.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Pam Faris (D-48)

To strip out the modest appropriation added to make the bill "referendum proof".

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. George Darany (D-15)

To tie-bar the bill to House Bill 4029, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. HB 4029 would eliminate the requirement that a person give a specific reason for requesting an absentee ballot.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Mike McCready (R-40)

To strip out the modest appropriation added to make the bill "referendum proof".

The amendment passed by voice vote

Passed in the House 54 to 51 (details)

To eliminate the straight party ticket option from election ballots. The bill also contains a modest appropriation that exempts it from the possibility of opponents petitioning for a referendum on whether it should go into law if enacted.

Received in the Senate

Dec. 16, 2015

Amendment offered by Sen. Curtis Hertel (D-23)

To strip out an appropriation that would make the bill "referendum-proof" under current Michigan Supreme Court interpretations of a constitutional prohibition on submitting appropriations bills to a referendum.

The amendment failed 15 to 22 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. David Knezek (D-5)

To tie-bar the bill to House Bill 5114, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. HB 5114 make the three regular state dates for most state elections in May, August, and November are state holidays, which among other things would probably mean that most government employees would get the day off.

The amendment failed 10 to 27 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. David Robertson (R-14)

To strip out the "tie bar" to House Bill 4724, which would allow "no reason" absentee ballots.

The amendment passed 20 to 17 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. Mike Kowall (R-15)

To tie-bar the bill to Senate Bill 58, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. SB 58 would allow 16 and 17 year olds to "preregister" to vote when they turn 18.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Sen. Steve Bieda (D-9)

To tie-bar the bill to Senate Bill 59, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. SB 59 would eliminate the requirement that a person give a specific reason for requesting an absentee ballot.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Sen. Jim Ananich (D-27)

To tie-bar the bill to Senate Bill 60, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. SB 60 would require and set rules for “early voting” beginning 30 days before election days.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Sen. Steve Bieda (D-9)

To tie-bar the bill to Senate Bill 61, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. SB 61 would require the Secretary of State to develop a system for electronic online voter registration on its website.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Sen. Rebekah Warren (D-18)

To tie-bar the bill to Senate Bill 89, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. SB 61 would allow a person to vote by absentee ballot in the first election after registering by mail to vote in a jurisdiction.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Sen. Jim Ananich (D-27)

To tie-bar the bill to House Bill 4816, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. HB 4816 would to change the deadline for voter registration from 30 days to 10 days before an election.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Sen. Coleman Young (D-1)

To tie-bar the bill to House Joint Resolution EE, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. HJR EE would transition Michigan governor elections to the same years as U.S. presidential elections.

The amendment failed 11 to 26 (details)

Passed in the Senate 24 to 13 (details)

To concur with the House-passed version of the bill. This final version is not linked to a proposal to allow "no reason" absentee voting.

Received in the House

Dec. 16, 2015

Passed in the House 54 to 52 (details)

To concur with the last Senate-passed version of the bill. This final version is not linked to a proposal to allow "no reason" absentee voting.

Signed by Gov. Rick Snyder

Dec. 31, 2015