Bill > HB4588

This bill amends the Michigan Election Law to require local school district board member candidates to have a partisan affiliation and be listed on the ballot with party designation, effectively changing the current nonpartisan status of school board elections. The bill modifies three sections of the law, primarily focusing on nominating petition requirements and ballot placement. For local school districts, candidates must now file partisan nominating petitions, which means they will need to be affiliated with a political party when running for school board. The bill specifies the number of petition signatures required based on school district population size (6-20 signatures for districts under 10,000 people, and 40-100 signatures for districts with 10,000 or more people). Additionally, the bill updates ballot order to include local school district board members on the partisan ballot alongside other elected offices, removing them from the nonpartisan ballot section. The changes aim to introduce more political transparency to school board elections by requiring candidates to declare their party affiliation, which could potentially influence voter perception and candidate selection. Candidates can still alternatively pay a $100 filing fee in lieu of collecting petition signatures, and the bill maintains existing rules about petition signatures, such as prohibitions against signing multiple petitions or signing with false information.

Government Affairs

https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2025-HB-4588