LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Senate on Tuesday approved Sen. Ruth Johnson’s legislation as part of a four-bill package to ensure the elections to township, village and city offices are certified before officials are sworn in and begin serving their terms.
“These commonsense bills will ensure that local officials do not take office until after the results of their election have been reviewed and certified,” said Johnson, R-Holly. “This is ultimately about election integrity and giving election officials the time needed to ensure that results are fair and accurate.”
Johnson’s bill, Senate Bill 243, states that all terms of city officers elected after Dec. 31, 2024, could begin no earlier than noon on the first day of the month following the officer’s election. This would mean a start date of no earlier than Dec. 1 for officials elected in a November general election. Currently, some local officials are seated as early as Nov. 20 following a November election.
“This new later start date will also give an opportunity for recounts to be completed prior to an official taking office when they are necessary,” Johnson said. “It is better to have this later start date than to potentially already have officials sworn in before the results of an election are final.”
Other bills in the package include:
- SB 240, sponsored by Sen. Jeremy Moss, D-Southfield, would move the date by which certain township officials begin serving from Nov. 20 after the election to Dec. 1 after the election.
- SB 241, sponsored by Moss, would require that all terms of village officers elected after Dec. 31, 2024, cannot begin earlier than noon on Dec. 1 following the officer’s election.
- SB 242, sponsored by Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Waucedah Township, would push back the date that a village president, clerk, treasurer and trustee take office from Nov. 20 after an election to Dec. 1 after an election and prohibit an individual elected to fill a vacancy from taking the oath of office until the results have been certified by the appropriate board of canvassers.
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