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House committee hears bill to stop nonpartisan candidates being disqualified over affidavit box
Summary
The House Committee on Election Integrity heard testimony on House Bill 4,861 to remove a party-affiliation checkbox for nonpartisan candidates’ affidavits, prompted by post-2020 lawsuits that led to some candidates being removed from ballots; judges and clerks urged statutory clarity. No vote was taken.
The House Committee on Election Integrity heard testimony on House Bill 4,861 on a proposal to remove the requirement that candidates for nonpartisan offices declare party affiliation on the affidavit of identity.
Representative Outman, who introduced the measure, told the committee, "House Bill 4,861 is a simple but important fix to Michigan's election law." He said the change is needed because "qualified candidates were disqualified from the ballot over this technicality" in 2020 and 2022 and that the Michigan Supreme Court in Davis v. Highland Park City Clerk had signaled the law is unclear and urged legislative correction.
Judge Kelly Ramsey, testifying by video, described her personal experience.…
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