Ever since the 2020 presidential election, there has been significant scrutiny surrounding the obtaining, returning, and counting of absentee ballots throughout the United States. To combat fraud, most states have laws that prohibit or restrict the return of...
Election Law
Former Southfield City Clerk Pleads Guilty To Violations of Election Law And Resigns Office
On Thursday, October 20, 2022, Attorney General Dana Nessel announced that embattled Southfield City Clerk Sherikia Hawkins resigned from office after pleading no contest to a felony count of misconduct in office. During the 2018 general election in Southfield,...
What Are The Penalties For Stealing Political Signs In Michigan?
Anjali Prasad, a Bloomfield Hills resident and candidate for the local school board, was frustrated that her political yard signs supporting her electoral race were continuously being stolen from her yard in 2018. A police stakeout near her property eventually...
Read Before You Sign! – Petition Circulators Can Lie To Get You To Sign Onto Ballot Proposals In Michigan
You have likely encountered petition circulators outside government buildings, in shopping centers or at public parks seeking enough signatures to get a particular proposal to appear on the ballot in the next election cycle. These proposals can involve any...
What Is Michigan’s Incompatible Offices Act?
In November 2020, Bedford Public Schools Board of Education member Todd Bruning won election to the Bedford Township Board as a trustee in Monroe County, Michigan. His current term on the school board expires in 2022. Despite winning the township board...
Can A Candidate Misrepresent His Or Her Incumbency During A Michigan Election Campaign?
The benefits of incumbency cannot be overstated in a U.S. election. Incumbents are returned to the U.S. House of Representatives over 90% of the time. The incumbent benefits from name recognition, the use of government resources in elections (e.g. franking...
Can Convicted Felons Run For Political Office In Michigan?
On March 24, 2008, Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was charged with eight felony counts (including perjury, misconduct in office and obstruction of justice) by state authorities. He resigned from office on September 19, 2008 following his guilty plea to two...
What Public Offices Are Subject To Term Limits In Michigan?
On November 3, 1992, Michigan voters enacted Proposal B, the Michigan Term Limits Amendment, which amended the state constitution to limit the number of terms that state officials may serve. The amendments read as follows: “No person shall be elected more than...
Can You Vote For A Write-In Candidate In Michigan?
A write-in candidate is an individual whose name does not appear on the ballot on Election Day but seeks office by asking voters to cast a vote by writing his or her name on the ballot. Write-in candidates can surface when the office-seeker failed to win a...
Are Campaign Contributions Tax Deductible?
The costs to run for political office are nearly astronomical. In 2016. President Donald Trump spent about $450 million on his campaign while his opponent Hillary Clinton spend about $770 million. A candidate running for the U.S. Senate can expect to spend...
