MICHIGAN ELECTION LAW
Act 116 of 1954
168.544f Number of signatures required.
Sec. 544f.
The number of signatures of qualified and registered electors necessary for nominating petitions under this act, based upon the population of the district involved according to the most recent federal census, is as follows:
|
Partisan Petition
|
Non Partisan Petition
|
Qualifying Petition
|
|
|
Population
|
Min
|
Max
|
Min
|
Max
|
Min
|
Max
|
|
0 -
9,999
|
3
|
10
|
6
|
20
|
9
|
30
|
|
|
10,000
- 24,999
|
20
|
50
|
40
|
100
|
60
|
150
|
|
|
25,000
- 49,999
|
50
|
100
|
100
|
200
|
150
|
300
|
|
|
50,000
- 74,999
|
100
|
|
200
|
200
|
400
|
300
|
600
|
|
|
75,000
- 99,999
|
200
|
400
|
400
|
800
|
600
|
1,200
|
|
|
100,000
- 199,999
|
300
|
500
|
600
|
1,000
|
900
|
1,500
|
|
|
200,000
- 499,999
|
500
|
1,000
|
1,000
|
2,000
|
1,500
|
3,000
|
|
|
500,000
- 999,999
|
1,000
|
2,000
|
2,000
|
4,000
|
3,000
|
6,000
|
|
|
1,000,000
- 1,999,999
|
2,000
|
4,000
|
4,000
|
8,000
|
6,000
|
12,000
|
|
|
2,000,000
- 4,999,999
|
4,000
|
8,000
|
6,200
|
12,000
|
12,000
|
24,000
|
|
|
Over
5 million (statewide)
|
15,000
|
30,000
|
30,000
|
60,000
|
30,000
|
60,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
History: Add. 1999, Act 218, Eff. Mar. 10, 2000
PopularName Notes:
Election Code
Notes of Decisions
Cited in
13
cases (
5 in the last 5 years), 2008–2024 · leading case:
Martin v. Sec'y of State, 760 N.W.2d 726 (Mich. Ct. App. 2008).
Martin v. Sec'y of State, 760 N.W.2d 726 (Mich. Ct. App. 2008).
· cites it 24× “name of a person as a candidate for nomination for the office of judge of the circuit court upon the official nonpartisan primary ballots, there shall be filed with the secretary of state nominating petitions containing the signatures, addresses, and dates of signing of a number…”
People v. Smith, 918 N.W.2d 718 (Mich. 2018).
“163(1) (providing that "a candidate for nomination by a political party for the office of state senator or representative" must file "nominating petitions signed by a number of qualified and registered electors residing in the district as determined under" MCL 168.544f ). See,…”
Graveline v. Johnson, 336 F. Supp. 3d 801 (E.D. Mich. 2018).
· cites it 3× “§ 168.544f. However, a candidate can only begin collecting signatures 180 days before the deadline, and, as part of the minimum number of signatures requirement, a qualifying petition must be signed by at least 100 registered voters in each of at least half of Michigan's 14…”
Esshaki v. Whitmer (E.D. Mich. 2020).
· cites it 6× “Likelihood of Success on the Merits Under Michigan election law, candidates for certain elective offices must comply with statutory signature gathering requirements enumerated in Section 168.544f. Mich. Comp. Laws § 168 .”
Graveline v. Johnson (E.D. Mich. 2019).
· cites it 2× “590c(2) is even more burdensome as applied in conjunction with the high signature requirement imposed by § 168.544f and the signature distribution requirement in § 168.”
Esshaki v. Whitmer (E.D. Mich. 2020).
· cites it 2× “Hawkins’ situation illustrates, whether or not a particular candidate was in compliance with Michigan’s candidate committee formation requirements on March 10th has little bearing on whether or not that candidate is a serious contender who—absent the pandemic—would likely have…”
SawariMedia LLC v. Whitmer (E.D. Mich. 2020).
· cites it 2× “Or, to state it differently, even assuming the State generally has a compelling interest in ensuring candidates have a modicum of support before allowing inclusion on the ballot, here the State has not shown it has a compelling interest in enforcing the specific numerical…”
Perry Johnson v. Bd. of State Canvassers (Mich. Ct. App. 2022).
“53 and MCL 168.544f. Prior to the applicable filing deadline, he submitted nominating petitions that included a total of approximately 23,193 signatures, each of which was purportedly the signature of a different registered elector.”
Graveline v. Johnson (E.D. Mich. 2020).
“§ 168.544f should be in light of the 12,000-signature remedy.”
Brandenburg v. Michigan Bd. of State Canvassers (W.D. Mich. 2022).
“53 , § 168.544f. Plaintiff alleges that she filed nominating petitions on April 14, 2022, containing about 19,500 signatures, and on April 19, 2022, containing about 8,000 signatures by the April 19, 2022 deadline.”
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