Introduced
by
To revise the standard which must be met for a political party to have its candidates printed in a separate party column on each election ballot, along with the name of the party, and its “vignette” or logo. To maintain its place on the ballot, a party's "principal candidate" must receive votes equal to at least one-percent of the total votes cast for the winning candidate for secretary of state in the last election. “Principal candidate" is now defined as the candidate who appears highest on the ballot ("top of the ticket"), which means the highest ranking office for which the party has a candidate. The bill would make this the candidate of that party who receives the largest number of votes, even if the party has a candidate for a higher office who receives less votes. If the principal candidate does not achieve the required vote total, then to have this ballot status in the next election the party must file petitions containing the signatures equal to at least one-percent of the total votes cast for all candidates for governor in the last gubernatorial election (3,027,104 in 1998), with at least 100 signatures from each of at least one-half of Michigan’s congressional districts.
Referred to the Committee on Redistricting and Elections
Passed in the House 103 to 0 (details)
Passed in the Senate 36 to 0 (details)
