§ 168.634Vacancy in office of state senator or representative; special or general election;

selection and certification of candidate; separate ballot; notice.
 Sec. 634.
    (1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, when a vacancy occurs in the office of
 senator or representative in the state legislature, the governor may call a special election in that
 senatorial or representative district or direct that the vacancy be filled at the next general
 election.
    (2) If the vacancy occurs after the primary election and before the following general
 election the governor may direct that the vacancy be filled at that election. If the governor
 directs that the vacancy be filled at the following general election, the executive committee of
 the county committee of each political party, if the county comprises 1 or more representative
 districts, or, if the district is comprised of more than 1 county, then the executive committee of
 the county committee of the respective political parties of each county in the district, may
 select, by a majority vote, a candidate for that office, and shall certify the name of the
 candidate to the county board of election commissioners of the county or counties comprising
 that representative district within 21 days after the vacancy occurs and at least 10 days before
 the general election. Upon certification, the candidate certified shall be the nominee of that
 party at that general election to fill the vacancy for the unexpired term with the same force and
 effect as if the person was nominated at a primary election as otherwise provided in this act. If


                                                                    Michigan Compiled Laws Complete Through PA 9 of 2026
Rendered Thursday, April 30, 2026             Page 265 of 478                               Courtesy of legislature.mi.gov

 the ballots for that election have already been printed before the certification, then the board of
 election commissioners shall cause the names of the candidates to be printed on a separate
 ballot, which ballot shall be counted, canvassed, and returned as other ballots cast at that
 election.
    (3) If the governor directs that the vacancy be filled at the next general election, the
 secretary of state shall give notice of that decision similar to the notice provided for in section
 651.