Michigan Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules

611 W. Ottawa Street

Lansing, MI 48909

Phone: 517-335-8658 Fax: 517-335-9512

AGENCY REPORT TO THE

JOINT COMMITEE ON ADMNINISTRATIVE RULES (JCAR)

1. Agency Information

Agency name:

State

Division/Bureau/Office:

Elections & Campaign Finance

Name of person completing this form:

Adam Fracassi

Phone number of person completing this form:

517-241-3280

E-mail of person completing this form:

FracassiA@michigan.gov

Name of Department Regulatory Affairs Officer reviewing this form:

Doug Novak

2. Rule Set Information

MOAHR assigned rule set number:

2021-62 ST

Title of proposed rule set:

Online Absent Voter Ballot Application

3. Purpose for the proposed rules and background:

To create process for and form of online absent voter ballot application.

4. Summary of proposed rules:

Prior to elections, Michigan Election Law requires voters to submit an application requesting to

receive an absent voter ballot for the relevant elections. Voters can submit an application every

election, or they can submit one application that covers dual elections. The application that is

submitted is in paper format. The proposed rule set would codify current practice established in 2020

and allow the voter to submit an application through a portal online that captures the voter’s signature

on their driver’s license and applies it to the application.

5. List names of newspapers in which the notice of public hearing was published and

publication dates:

MCL 24.242 and 24.245

Agency Report to JCAR-Page 2

Marquette Mining Journal (September 17, 2021)

Flint Journal (September 17, 2021)

Kalamazoo Gazette (September 17, 2021)

6. Date of publication of rules and notice of public hearing in Michigan Register:

9/15/2021

7. Date, time, and location of public hearing:

10/1/2021 09:00 AM at Cadillac Place Room L-150 , 3044 W. Grand Blvd. Detroit, MI 48202

8. Provide the link the agency used to post the regulatory impact statement and cost-benefit

analysis on its website:

https://ARS.apps.lara.state.mi.us/Transaction/RFRTransaction?TransactionID=1320

9. List of the name and title of agency representative(s) attending public hearing:

Adam Fracassi (Bureau of Elections – Designated Agency Representative)

Doug Novak (Department of State – Regulatory Affairs Officer)

Jonathan Brater (Bureau of Elections – Director)

Brian Remlinger (Bureau of Elections – Law Fellow)

10. Persons submitting comments of support:

see attached

11. Persons submitting comments of opposition:

see attached

12. Identify any changes made to the proposed rules based on comments received during the