Michigan Senate Bill SB0943

Michigan 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 5/7/26
• Refer: 5/7/26

Caption

Elections: audits; audit of certain contests after each primary election and general election; require. Amends secs. 31a & 822 of 1954 PA 116 (MCL 168.31a & 168.822).

Summary

Senate Bill 943 would revise Michigan election law to require post-election audits of precincts after each election, rather than leaving such audits discretionary. It directs the secretary of state to prescribe audit procedures and to train and certify county clerks and their staffs to conduct tabulation audits of randomly selected precincts. The bill requires a hand tally of at least one race in each selected precinct, and for presidential elections, a hand tally of the presidential contest in each selected precinct. It also requires statewide audits to include at least one statewide race or ballot question in each selected precinct. The bill further requires audit results to be compared with unofficial election returns and reported before county canvassers certify election results. If discrepancies cannot be resolved, additional precinct audits may be ordered. The bill also bars county clerks who are officers, members of the governing body, or precinct delegates of a political party from directing, supervising, or conducting audits, and requires them to appoint a qualified designee instead. Finally, it makes county canvassers wait until the required audit is complete before concluding the canvass and clarifies that certification is a ministerial duty based on returns and any corrected returns.

Impact

SB 943 would amend sections 31a and 822 of the Michigan election law, changing post-election audit procedures and the timing of county canvass certification. It would make audits mandatory after each election, establish statewide standards for tabulation audits, require reporting to the secretary of state and county boards of canvassers, and allow corrected returns from audits to be used in certification. It would also impose new restrictions on politically active county clerks and shift responsibility to designees in those cases, while preserving that audits do not change certified results unless corrected returns affect canvass certification.

Sentiment

The available record shows no committee transcript or recorded votes, so there is no direct evidence of debate or formal support/opposition in the materials provided. Based on the bill text, the measure appears designed to strengthen election administration and verification procedures, which may appeal to supporters of election integrity and standardized audits. At the same time, the mandatory audit requirements, added workload, and restrictions on certain county clerks suggest the bill could draw concern from local election officials and those wary of increased administrative burden.

Contention

The main points of contention are likely to be whether audits should be mandatory after every election, how extensive those audits should be, and whether the secretary of state should have authority to require additional precinct audits when discrepancies arise. Another likely issue is the bill’s prohibition on politically active county clerks participating in audit supervision or conduct, which could be viewed as a conflict-of-interest safeguard by supporters but as overly restrictive by critics. The requirement that county canvassers delay certification until audits are complete may also be controversial because it could affect election timelines and county workloads.