2007 Senate Bill 160

Allow automatic absentee ballot mailings

Introduced in the Senate

Feb. 6, 2007

Introduced by Sen. Irma Clark-Coleman (D-3)

To allow local elections clerks to automatically send an absentee ballot before each election to any qualified registered voter, without having first received an absentee ballot request from the voter for a particular election. The bill does not specify how the clerk would know that a person is qualified, except that state law automatically qualifies those who are disabled or age 60 and above. Note: A recent circuit court case ruled that Detroit could not automatically send out absentee ballots to voters who had received them in previous elections, because state law only authorizes this only for those who specifically make the request.

Referred to the Committee on Campaign and Election Oversight