§ 168.674Precinct and early voting site election inspector; appointment; chairperson;

political party membership; challenge; vacancies.
 Sec. 674.
    (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary and subject to this section,
 the city and township board of election commissioners, at least 21 days before each election,
 but in no case less than 5 days before the date set for holding schools of instruction, shall
 appoint for each election precinct and early voting site at least 3 election inspectors and as
 many more as in the board's opinion is required for the efficient, speedy, and proper conduct of
 the election. The board of election commissioners may appoint as election inspector an
 individual on the list submitted by a major political party under section 673a who is qualified
 to serve under section 677. An appointment of an election inspector under this section is void
 if a properly completed application for that election inspector is not on file in the clerk's office
 as prescribed in section 677.
    (2) The board of election commissioners shall designate 1 appointed election inspector as
 chairperson. The board of election commissioners shall appoint at least 1 election inspector
 from each major political party and shall appoint an equal number, as nearly as possible, of
 election inspectors in each election precinct from each major political party. The board of
 election commissioners may appoint election inspectors in an election precinct from minor
 political parties. Not later than 2 business days following the appointment of election
 inspectors under subsection (1) for elections in which a federal or state office appears, the
 board of election commissioners shall notify by certified mail, personal service, or electronic
 transmission capable of determining date of receipt the county chair of each major political
 party of the names and political party affiliations of appointed election inspectors and the


                                                                    Michigan Compiled Laws Complete Through PA 9 of 2026
Rendered Thursday, April 30, 2026             Page 291 of 478                               Courtesy of legislature.mi.gov

 precincts to which those election inspectors were appointed. A board of election
 commissioners shall not appoint an individual as an election inspector if that individual
 declares a political party preference for 1 political party but is a known active advocate of
 another political party. As used in this section, "a known active advocate" means an individual
 who meets 1 or more of the following:
    (a) Is a delegate to the convention or an officer of that other political party.
    (b) Is affiliated with that political party through an elected or appointed government
 position.
    (c) Has made documented public statements specifically supporting by name the other
 political party or its candidates in the same calendar year as the election for which the
 appointment is being made. As used in this subdivision, "documented public statements"
 means statements reported by the news media or written statements with a clear and
 unambiguous attribution to the applicant.
    (3) The county chair of a major political party may challenge the appointment of an election
 inspector based on the qualifications of the election inspector, the legitimacy of the election
 inspector's political party affiliation, or whether there is a properly completed declaration of
 political party affiliation in the application for that election inspector on file in the clerk's
 office. The challenge must be in writing, specifically identify the reason for the challenge, and
 include any available documentation supporting the challenge. The county chair of the
 political party shall file a challenge under this subsection with the board of election
 commissioners not later than 4 business days following receipt of the board of election
 commissioners' notice of appointed election inspectors under subsection (2).
    (4) Upon receipt of a challenge under subsection (3), the board of election commissioners
 shall determine whether the appointee has the necessary qualifications by reviewing the
 application or any other official records, such as voter registration records, or whether the
 applicant has a properly completed certification of political party affiliation in the application.
 If the challenge alleges that the appointee is a known active advocate of a political party other
 than the one on the appointee's application, the board of election commissioners immediately
 shall provide the appointee with a copy of the challenge by certified mail, personal service, or
 electronic transmission capable of determining date of receipt. The appointee may respond to
 the challenge within 2 business days after receiving a copy of the challenge. A response must
 be by affidavit addressing the specific reasons for the challenge. Failure to respond results in
 revocation of the appointment. Within 2 business days after receiving the challenge or a
 response from the appointee, whichever is later, the board of election commissioners shall
 make a final determination and notify the appointee and the county chair of the political party
 of the determination.
    (5) If a vacancy occurs in the office of chairperson or in the office of election inspector
 before election day, the chairperson of the board of election commissioners shall designate
 some other properly qualified applicant or election inspector as chairperson or some other
 qualified applicant as election inspector, as applicable, subject to this section. If a vacancy
 occurs in the office of chairperson on election day, the remaining election inspectors shall
 designate 1 of the election inspectors as chairperson.