Sec. 865.
(1) A candidate petition for a recount must be in the following form:
CANDIDATE PETITION FOR A RECOUNT
I ____________________, the petitioner, reside at
___________________________, and I petition the __________ (state/county)
board of canvassers for a recount of the votes cast for the _____________ (Office/
District/Party) at the election. I am aggrieved on account of error in the canvass or
returns of the votes. I have a good-faith belief that, but for error, I would have had
a reasonable chance of winning the election. I am requesting a recount of
sufficient votes to change the result of the election.
I request that the following precincts, absent voter counting board (AVCB)
precincts, and early voting precincts within the listed jurisdictions be recounted:
Precinct/AVCB Precinct/Early Voting Precinct Number Name of Jurisdiction
_____________ _______________________
_____________ _______________________
_____________ _______________________
(List additional precincts/vote centers on the back or attach additional sheets)
Specifically explain the error in the canvass or returns of votes:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
My deposit of $________ is enclosed.
Signature of candidate:___________________________________
Date of signature:________________________________________
Subscribed and sworn to before me this __ day of _____, 20___
Name of notary public:__________________________
Signature of notary public:_______________________________
Notary public, State of Michigan, County of _________________
Acting in the County of ___________________________
My commission expires:_____________________________
(2) A candidate counter petition for a recount must be in the following form:
CANDIDATE COUNTER PETITION FOR A RECOUNT
Michigan Compiled Laws Complete Through PA 9 of 2026
Rendered Thursday, April 30, 2026 Page 426 of 478 Courtesy of legislature.mi.gov
I ____________________, the counter petitioner, reside at
___________________________, and I counter petition the __________ (state/
county) board of canvassers for a recount of the votes cast for the _____________
(Office/District/Party) at the election.
I request that the additional following precincts, absent voter counting board
(AVCB) precincts, and early voting precincts within the listed jurisdictions be
recounted:
Precinct/AVCB Precinct/Early Voting Precinct Number Name of Jurisdiction
_____________ _______________________
_____________ _______________________
_____________ _______________________
(List additional precincts/vote centers on the back or attach additional sheets)
Specifically explain the error in the canvass or returns of votes:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
My deposit of $________ is enclosed.
Signature of candidate:___________________________________
Date of signature:________________________________________
Subscribed and sworn to before me this __ day of _____, 20___
Name of notary public:__________________________
Signature of notary public:_______________________________
Notary public, State of Michigan, County of _________________
Acting in the County of ___________________________
My commission expires:_____________________________
(3) Except as otherwise provided under subsection (5), a ballot question committee petition for
a recount must be in the following form:
BALLOT QUESTION COMMITTEE PETITION FOR A RECOUNT
I _______________________, an authorized representative of
_________________, petition the ______________ (state/county) board of
canvassers for a recount of the votes cast for the _____________ (ballot question)
at the ______________ election. The ballot question committee has a good-faith
belief that, but for error, the result of the ballot question would have been the
opposite. The ballot question committee is requesting a recount of sufficient votes
to change the result of the election.
The ballot question committee requests that the following precincts, absent voter
counting board (AVCB) precincts, and early voting precincts within the listed
jurisdictions be recounted:
Precinct/AVCB Precinct/Early Voting Precinct Number Name of Jurisdiction
_____________ _______________________
_____________ _______________________
Michigan Compiled Laws Complete Through PA 9 of 2026
Rendered Thursday, April 30, 2026 Page 427 of 478 Courtesy of legislature.mi.gov
_____________ _______________________
(List additional precincts/vote centers on the back or attach additional sheets)
Specifically explain the error in the canvass or returns of votes:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
My deposit of $________ is enclosed.
Signature of ballot question committee representative:
____________________________
Date of signature:_________________________________
Subscribed and sworn to before me this __ day of _____, 20___
Name of notary public:__________________________
Signature of notary public:_______________________________
Notary public, State of Michigan, County of _________________
Acting in the County of ___________________________
My commission expires:_____________________________
(4) Except as otherwise provided under subsection (5), a ballot question committee counter
petition for a recount must be in the following form:
BALLOT QUESTION COMMITTEE COUNTER PETITION FOR A
RECOUNT
I ________________________, an authorized representative of
_________________, counter petition the ______________ (state/county) board
of canvassers for a recount of the votes cast for the _________________ (ballot
question) at the election.
The ballot question committee requests that the additional following precincts,
absent voter counting board (AVCB) precincts, and early voting precincts within
the listed jurisdictions be recounted:
Precinct/AVCB Precinct/Early Voting Precinct Number Name of Jurisdiction
_____________ _______________________
_____________ _______________________
_____________ _______________________
(List additional precincts/vote centers on the back or attach additional sheets)
Specifically explain the error in the canvass or returns of votes:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
My deposit of $________ is enclosed.
Signature of ballot question committee representative:
Michigan Compiled Laws Complete Through PA 9 of 2026
Rendered Thursday, April 30, 2026 Page 428 of 478 Courtesy of legislature.mi.gov
____________________________
Date of signature:___________________________
Subscribed and sworn to before me this __ day of _____, 20___
Name of notary public:__________________________
Signature of notary public:_______________________________
Notary public, State of Michigan, County of _________________
Acting in the County of ___________________________
My commission expires:_____________________________
(5) The secretary of state shall modify the ballot question committee petition for a recount
form under subsection (3) and the ballot question committee counter petition for a recount
form under subsection (4) as appropriate to allow an elector to file either petition as authorized
under sections 863 and 880.§ 168.865Recount petitions; forms
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