2023 Michigan Compiled Laws › Chapter 168 - Michigan Election Law › Act 116 of 1954 - Michigan Election Law (168.1 - 168.992) › 116-1954-XXXV - Chapter XXXV Offenses and Penalties (168.931...168.947) › Section 168.931 - Prohibited Conduct; Violation as Misdemeanor; “Valuable Consideration” Defined.

***** 168.931 THIS SECTION IS AMENDED EFFECTIVE 91 DAYS AFTER ADJOURNMENT OF THE 2023 REGULAR SESSION SINE DIE: See 168.931.amended *****
168.931 Prohibited conduct; violation as misdemeanor; “valuable consideration” defined.
Sec. 931.
(1) A person who violates 1 or more of the following subdivisions is guilty of a misdemeanor:
(a) A person shall not, either directly or indirectly, give, lend, or promise valuable consideration, to or for any person, as an inducement to influence the manner of voting by a person relative to a candidate or ballot question, or as a reward for refraining from voting.
(b) A person shall not, either before, on, or after an election, for the person's own benefit or on behalf of any other person, receive, agree, or contract for valuable consideration for 1 or more of the following:
(i) Voting or agreeing to vote, or inducing or attempting to induce another to vote, at an election.
(ii) Refraining or agreeing to refrain, or inducing or attempting to induce another to refrain, from voting at an election.
(iii) Doing anything prohibited by this act.
(iv) Both distributing absent voter ballot applications to voters and receiving signed applications from voters for delivery to the appropriate clerk or assistant of the clerk. This subparagraph does not apply to an authorized election official.
(c) A person shall not solicit any valuable consideration from a candidate for nomination for, or election to, an office described in this act. This subdivision does not apply to requests for contributions of money by or to an authorized representative of the political party committee of the organization to which the candidate belongs. This subdivision does not apply to a regular business transaction between a candidate and any other person that is not intended for, or connected with, the securing of votes or the influencing of voters in connection with the nomination or election.
(d) A person shall not, either directly or indirectly, discharge or threaten to discharge an employee of the person for the purpose of influencing the employee's vote at an election.
(e) A priest, pastor, curate, or other officer of a religious society shall not for the purpose of influencing a voter at an election, impose or threaten to impose upon the voter a penalty of excommunication, dismissal, or expulsion, or command or advise the voter, under pain of religious disapproval.
(f) A person shall not hire a motor vehicle or other conveyance or cause the same to be done, for conveying voters, other than voters physically unable to walk, to an election.
(g) In a city, township, village, or school district that has a board of election commissioners authorized to appoint inspectors of election, an inspector of election, a clerk, or other election official who accepts an appointment as an inspector of election shall not fail to report at the polling place designated on election morning at the time specified by the board of election commissioners, unless excused as provided in this subdivision. A person who violates this subdivision is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than $10.00 or imprisonment for not more than 10 days, or both. An inspector of election, clerk, or other election official who accepts an appointment as an inspector of election is excused for failing to report at the polling place on election day and is not subject to a fine or imprisonment under this subdivision if 1 or more of the following requirements are met:
(i) The inspector of election, clerk, or other election official notifies the board of election commissioners or other officers in charge of elections of his or her inability to serve at the time and place specified, 3 days or more before the election.
(ii) The inspector of election, clerk, or other election official is excused from duty by the board of election commissioners or other officers in charge of elections for cause shown.
(h) A person shall not willfully fail to perform a duty imposed upon that person by this act, or disobey a lawful instruction or order of the secretary of state as chief state election officer or of a board of county election commissioners, board of city election commissioners, or board of inspectors of election.
(i) A delegate or member of a convention shall not solicit a candidate for nomination before the convention for money, reward, position, place, preferment, or other valuable consideration in return for support by the delegate or member in the convention. A candidate or other person shall not promise or give to a delegate money, reward, position, place, preferment, or other valuable consideration in return for support by or vote of the delegate in the convention.
(j) A person elected to the office of delegate to a convention shall not accept or receive any money or other valuable consideration for his or her vote as a delegate.
(k) A person shall not, while the polls are open on an election day, solicit votes in a polling place or within 100 feet from an entrance to the building in which a polling place is located.
(l) A person shall not keep a room or building for the purpose, in whole or in part, of recording or registering bets or wagers, or of selling pools upon the result of a political nomination, appointment, or election. A person shall not wager property, money, or thing of value, or be the custodian of money, property, or thing of value, staked, wagered, or pledged upon the result of a political nomination, appointment, or election.
(m) A person shall not participate in a meeting or a portion of a meeting of more than 2 persons, other than the person's immediate family, at which an absent voter ballot is voted.
(n) A person, other than an authorized election official, shall not, either directly or indirectly, give, lend, or promise any valuable consideration to or for a person to induce that person to both distribute absent voter ballot applications to voters and receive signed absent voter ballot applications from voters for delivery to the appropriate clerk.
(2) A person who violates a provision of this act for which a penalty is not otherwise specifically provided in this act, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(3) A person or a person's agent who knowingly makes, publishes, disseminates, circulates, or places before the public, or knowingly causes directly or indirectly to be made, published, disseminated, circulated, or placed before the public, in this state, either orally or in writing, an assertion, representation, or statement of fact concerning a candidate for public office at an election in this state, that is false, deceptive, scurrilous, or malicious, without the true name of the author being subscribed to the assertion, representation, or statement if written, or announced if unwritten, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(4) As used in this section, "valuable consideration" includes, but is not limited to, money, property, a gift, a prize or chance for a prize, a fee, a loan, an office, a position, an appointment, or employment.
History:
1954, Act 116, Eff. June 1, 1955 ;-- Am. 1982, Act 201, Imd. Eff. July 1, 1982 ;-- Am. 1984, Act 113, Imd. Eff. May 29, 1984 ;-- Am. 1995, Act 261, Eff. Mar. 28, 1996 ;-- Am. 1996, Act 583, Eff. Mar. 31, 1997
Compiler's Notes:
Act 269 of 2001, which was approved by the Governor and filed with the Secretary of State on January 11, 2002, provided for the amendment of MCL 168.31, 168.73, 168.283, 168.393, 168.509y, 168.509aa, 168.561a, 168.624, 168.624a, 168.686, 168.706, 168.727, 168.737, 168.745, 168.769, 168.782b, 168.795, 168.795c, 168.797a, 168.798c, 168.799a, 168.803, 168.804, 168.842, and 168.931 of, the addition of Sec. 701 to, and the repeal of Sec. 509 of, Act 116 of 1954, known as the Michigan Election Law. A petition seeking a referendum on Act 269 of 2001 was filed with the Secretary of State. The Board of State Canvassers officially declared the sufficiency of the referendum petition on May 14, 2002. Const 1963, art 2, sec 9, provides that no law as to which the power of referendum properly has been invoked shall be effective thereafter unless approved by a majority of the electors voting thereon at the next general election. A referendum on Act 269 of 2001 was presented to the electors at the November 5, 2002, general election as Proposal 02-1, which read as follows:“A REFERENDUM ON PUBLIC ACT 269 OF 2001—AN ACT TO AMEND CERTAIN SECTIONS OF MICHIGAN ELECTION LAWPublic Act 269 of 2001 would:—Eliminate “straight party” vote option on partisan general election ballots.—Require Secretary of State to obtain training reports from local election officials.—Require registered voters who do not appear on registration list to show picture identification before voting a challenged ballot.—Require expedited canvass if presidential vote differential is under 25,000.—Require ballot counting equipment to screen ballots for voting errors to ensure the accurate tabulation of absentee ballots. Permit voters in polls to correct errors.—Provide penalties for stealing campaign signs or accepting payment for campaign work while being paid as a public employee to perform election duties.Should this law be approved?Yes __________No __________”Act 269 of 2001 was not approved by a majority of the electors voting thereon at the November 5, 2002, general election.
Popular Name:
Election Code