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Public witnesses urge JCAR to reject Secretary of State rule set on voter-roll maintenance; committee lacks quorum
Summary
At a Joint Committee on Administrative Rules hearing, election-advocacy groups and community speakers urged rejection of a proposed Secretary of State rule set (referred to as rule set 13), raising legal, cost, and transparency concerns. The committee lacked a quorum and scheduled a follow-up hearing with the Bureau of Elections.
The Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) heard public testimony opposing a proposed Secretary of State rule set on voter-registration maintenance — referred to repeatedly in testimony as “rule set 13” — but the committee did not take formal action because it lacked a quorum.
Advocates told JCAR that the rule set would impose a “personal knowledge” requirement on voter challenges, make routine list maintenance effectively optional, and add notarization and certified-mail costs that could block citizen-initiated challenges. Patrice Johnson, chair of Pure Integrity Michigan Elections, called the package “unlawful, it’s unworkable, and it’s harmful to Michigan voters.”
Why it matters: Witnesses argued the rule would conflict with federal and state law, discourage public participation in maintaining the Qualified Voter File (QVF), and raise procedural barriers that would reduce transparency and oversight of local election records.
Testimony and key points
Patrice Johnson, chair of Pure Integrity Michigan Elections, said the proposed rules…
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