Governor Snyder signed the 2012 Presidential Primary bill into law yesterday.  The bill (Senate Bill 584, now Public Act 163) can be found here:

 

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2011-2012/billenrolled/Senate/pdf/2011-SNB-0584.pdf

 

The 2012 presidential primary is set for Tuesday, February 28.  A list of the pertinent dates and deadlines related to the primary can be found here:

 

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/sos/Pres_Prim_Date_2012_365412_7.pdf

 

The Bureau of Elections is developing a detailed informational packet that will cover all of the major issues involved in administering the presidential primary.  This information will be forwarded to you later this year and will be available on our website.  Overall processes will be similar to those used in the 2008 presidential primary.  Minor changes will also be made to the E-Pollbook program to allow for selection of the appropriate ballot.  Some of the key implementation issues include:

 

• The 2012 presidential primary will be conducted as a "closed" primary.  Consequently, a minimum of two - and possibly three - ballots will be needed to administer the primary.  Jurisdictions conducting any type of special election in conjunction with the presidential primary will have a Republican ballot, a Democratic ballot, and a ballot which contains only the proposals and/or offices related to the special election.  Republican and Democratic ballots will each also contain all special election proposals and candidates.
   
• Applications to vote and Absent Voter ballot applications will include a ballot designation (Republican Party, Democratic Party, Ballot without Presidential Primary - local issues only).
   
• The voter's selected ballot type will be recorded on the precinct list.  For E-pollbook jurisdictions, this will include a "pick list" that will be added to the voter selection / ballot assignment screen.
   
• By law, voters' ballot selection information will be available to everyone under the Freedom of Information Act.
   
• The Bureau of Elections will develop a process for creating and providing electronic lists of voters that participated in each party's primary as required by law.  The QVF will be enhanced to allow clerks to record each voter's ballot designation.
   
• Information containing each voter's political party ballot selection must be destroyed after 22 months.

The dates and deadlines document referenced above also includes pertinent deadlines related to county and local issues that may appear on the February 28 ballot.  The immediate next steps will involve establishing the list of qualified presidential primary candidates that may appear on the ballot.  These lists will be finalized by early December.  Key steps and dates involved in this process are also outlined in the dates and deadlines document referenced above. 

 

Again, more detailed information will be forwarded to you in the near future.  In the meantime, if you have questions please contact the Bureau of Elections at 1-800-292-5973.