Committee hears hours of testimony on bill to require party labels on school board ballots

Lansing — The Michigan House Committee on Election Integrity on Wednesday heard more than an hour of testimony for and against House Bill 45 88, a proposal to require or allow candidates for local school boards to run with a partisan label on the ballot.

Representative Wolford, the bill’s sponsor in the committee hearing, said the change would give voters “a clear signal” about candidates’ values and increase turnout. “Make them openly partisan so that candidates must declare whether they're a Republican or a Democrat or otherwise,” Representative Wolford said, arguing that party labels reduce the need for voters to “play a detective.”

Supporters, including Greg Keller, treasurer of Heartland Consolidated Schools’ board, told the committee the measure would boost participation and transparency. “Local school board races historically suffer from low voter participation,” Keller said. He recounted his own 2022 tie, which was resolved by drawing lots before a canvass and said clearer labels would help voters engage further down the ballot.

Opponents included the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan and statewide school board organizations.…