of elector's signature; agreement of circulator to accept jurisdiction; service with legal
process; violations; misdemeanor; felony; sanctions; refusal of individual to comply with
subpoena; applicability of section to all sections.
Sec. 544c.
(1) A nominating petition must be 8-1/2 inches by 14 inches in size. On a nominating
petition, the words "nominating petition" must be printed in 24-point boldface type. "We, the
undersigned," et cetera must be printed in 8-point type. "Warning" and language in the
warning must be printed in 12-point boldface type. The balance of the petition must be printed
in 8-point type. The name, address, and party affiliation of the candidate and the office for
which petitions are signed must be printed in type not larger than 24-point. The petition must
be in the following form:
NOMINATING PETITION
(PARTISAN)
We, the undersigned, registered and qualified voters
of the city or township of .................. , in the county
(strike 1)
of ................... and state of Michigan, nominate,
.............................................................. ,
(Name of Candidate)
.............................................................. ,
(Street Address or Rural Route) (City or Township)
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as a candidate of the ................... party for the office of .......................... ,
.............................................................. ,
(District, if any)
to be voted for at the primary election to be held on the ............ day
of ............. , 20 ........ .
WARNING
A person who knowingly signs more petitions for the same office than there
are persons to be elected to the office, signs a petition more than once, or signs
a name other than his or her own is violating the provisions of the Michigan
election law.
Street
Printed
Address
Name Date of
or
and Signing
Rural Zip
Signature Mo.
Route Code
1.
_______________________________________________________________
2.
_______________________________________________________________
3.
_______________________________________________________________
4.
_______________________________________________________________
numbered lines as above
CERTIFICATE OF CIRCULATOR
The undersigned circulator of the above petition asserts that he or she is 18 years of age or
older and a United States citizen; that each signature on the petition was signed in his or her
presence; that he or she has neither caused nor permitted a person to sign the petition more
than once and has no knowledge of a person signing the petition more than once; and that, to
his or her best knowledge and belief, each signature is the genuine signature of the person
purporting to sign the petition, the person signing the petition was at the time of signing a
registered elector of the city or township listed in the heading of the petition, and the elector
was qualified to sign the petition.
Circulator—Do not sign or date certificate until after circulating petition.
____ If the circulator is not a resident of Michigan, the circulator shall make a cross or
check mark on the line provided, otherwise each signature on this petition sheet is invalid and
the signatures will not be counted by a filing official. By making a cross or check mark on the
line provided, the undersigned circulator asserts that he or she is not a resident of Michigan
and agrees to accept the jurisdiction of this state for the purpose of any legal proceeding or
hearing that concerns a petition sheet executed by the circulator and agrees that legal process
served on the secretary of state or a designated agent of the secretary of state has the same
effect as if personally served on the circulator.
________________________________________________
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(Printed Name and Signature of Circulator) (Date)
________________________________________________
(Complete Residence Address (Street and Number or Rural
Route)) Do not enter a post office box
________________________________________________
(City or Township, State, Zip Code)
________________________________________________
(County of Registration, if Registered to Vote, of a
Circulator who is not a Resident of Michigan)
Warning-A circulator knowingly making a false statement in the above certificate, a person not
a circulator who signs as a circulator, or a person who signs a name other than his or her own
as circulator is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(2) The petition must be in a form providing a space for the circulator and each elector who
signs the petition to print his or her name. The secretary of state shall prescribe the location of
the space for the printed name. The failure of the circulator or an elector who signs the petition
to print his or her name, to print his or her name in the location prescribed by the secretary of
state, or to enter a zip code or his or her correct zip code does not affect the validity of the
signature of the circulator or the elector who signs the petition. A printed name located in the
space prescribed for printed names does not constitute the signature of the circulator or elector.
If an elector does not include his or her signature, his or her street address or rural route, or the
date of signing on the petition as required under subsection (1), the elector's signature is
invalid and must not be counted by a filing official.
(3) If the circulator of a petition under section 482, a qualifying petition for an office named
in section 590b(4), or a petition to form a new political party under section 685 is not a
resident of this state, the circulator shall indicate where provided on the certificate of
circulator that he or she agrees to accept the jurisdiction of this state for the purpose of any
legal proceeding or hearing initiated under section 476, 552, 590f(2), or 685 that concerns a
petition sheet executed by the circulator and agrees that legal process served on the secretary
of state or a designated agent of the secretary of state has the same effect as if personally
served on the circulator.
(4) If the secretary of state or a designated agent of the secretary of state is served with legal
process as described in subsection (3), the secretary of state shall promptly notify the
circulator by personal service or certified mail at the circulator's residential address as
indicated in the certificate of circulator.
(5) The circulator of a petition shall sign and date the certificate of circulator before the
petition is filed. A circulator shall not obtain electors' signatures after the circulator has signed
and dated the certificate of circulator. A filing official shall not count electors' signatures that
were obtained after the date the circulator signed the certificate or that are contained in a
petition that the circulator did not sign and date.
(6) Except as provided in section 544d, a petition sheet must not be circulated in more than
1 city or township and each signer of a petition sheet must be a registered elector of the city or
township indicated in the heading of the petition sheet. The invalidity of 1 or more signatures
on a petition does not affect the validity of the remainder of the signatures on the petition.
(7) An individual shall not sign more nominating petitions for the same office than there are
persons to be elected to the office. An individual who violates this subsection is guilty of a
misdemeanor.
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(8) An individual shall not do any of the following:
(a) Sign a petition with a name other than his or her own.
(b) Make a false statement in a certificate on a petition.
(c) If not a circulator, sign a petition as a circulator.
(d) Sign a name as circulator other than his or her own.
(9) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (10), an individual who violates subsection
(8) is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $500.00 or imprisonment
for not more than 93 days, or both.
(10) An individual shall not sign a petition with multiple names. An individual who violates
this subsection is guilty of a felony.
(11) If after a canvass and a hearing on a petition under section 476 or 552 the board of state
canvassers determines that an individual has knowingly and intentionally failed to comply
with subsection (8) or (10), the board of state canvassers may impose 1 or more of the
following sanctions:
(a) Disqualify obviously fraudulent signatures on a petition form on which the violation of
subsection (8) or (10) occurred, without checking the signatures against local registration
records.
(b) Disqualify from the ballot a candidate who committed, aided or abetted, or knowingly
allowed the violation of subsection (8) or (10) on a petition to nominate that candidate.
(12) If an individual violates subsection (8) or (10) and the affected petition sheet is filed,
each of the following who knew of the violation of subsection (8) or (10) before the filing of
the affected petition sheet and who failed to report the violation to the secretary of state, the
filing official, if different, the attorney general, a law enforcement officer, or the county
prosecuting attorney is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than
$500.00 or imprisonment for not more than 1 year, or both:
(a) The circulator of the petition, if different than the individual who violated subsection (8)
or (10).
(b) If the petition is a nominating petition, the candidate whose nomination is sought.
(c) If the petition is a petition for a ballot question or recall, the organization or other person
sponsoring the petition drive.
(13) If after a canvass and a hearing on a petition under section 476 or 552 the board of state
canvassers determines that an individual has violated subsection (12), the board of state
canvassers may impose 1 or more of the following sanctions:
(a) Impose on the organization or other person sponsoring the petition drive an
administrative fine of not more than $5,000.00.
(b) Charge the organization or other person sponsoring the petition drive for the costs of
canvassing a petition form on which a violation of subsection (8) or (10) occurred.
(c) Disqualify an organization or other person described in subdivision (a) from collecting
signatures on a petition for a period of not more than 4 years.
(d) Disqualify obviously fraudulent signatures on a petition form on which a violation of
subsection (8) or (10) occurred without checking the signatures against local registration
records.
(e) Disqualify from the ballot a candidate who committed, aided or abetted, or knowingly
allowed a violation of subsection (8) or (10) on a petition to nominate that candidate.
(14) If an individual refuses to comply with a subpoena of the board of state canvassers in
an investigation of an alleged violation of subsection (8), (10), or (12), the board may hold the
canvass of the petitions in abeyance until the individual complies.
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(15) A person who aids or abets another in an act that is prohibited by this section is guilty
of that act.
(16) The provisions of this section except as otherwise expressly provided apply to all
petitions circulated under authority of the election law.§ 168.544cNominating petition; type size; form; contents; circulation and signing; validity
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