Mich. Comp. Laws » Michigan Compiled Laws / Chapter 168 / Act 116 of 1954
Michigan Compiled Laws

Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.865 (2026)

Recount petitions; forms.

✓ current as of July 2026
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MICHIGAN ELECTION LAW


Act 116 of 1954


168.865 Recount petitions; forms.

Sec. 865.

    (1) A candidate petition for a recount must be in the following form:

    

    CANDIDATE PETITION FOR A RECOUNT

    I ____________________, the petitioner, reside at ___________________________, and I petition the __________ (state/county) board of canvassers for a recount of the votes cast for the _____________ (Office/District/Party) at the election. I am aggrieved on account of error in the canvass or returns of the votes. I have a good-faith belief that, but for error, I would have had a reasonable chance of winning the election. I am requesting a recount of sufficient votes to change the result of the election.

    I request that the following precincts, absent voter counting board (AVCB) precincts, and early voting precincts within the listed jurisdictions be recounted:

    Precinct/AVCB Precinct/Early Voting Precinct Number

    Name of Jurisdiction

    _____________

    _____________________________________

    _____________

    _____________________________________

    _____________

    _____________________________________

     

    (List additional precincts/vote centers on the back or attach additional sheets)

    Specifically explain the error in the canvass or returns of votes:

    __________________________________________________________________

    __________________________________________________________________

    __________________________________________________________________

    My deposit of $________ is enclosed.

    Signature of candidate:___________________________________

    Date of signature:________________________________________

    

    Subscribed and sworn to before me this __ day of _____, 20___

    Name of notary public:__________________________

    Signature of notary public:_______________________________

    Notary public, State of Michigan, County of _________________

    Acting in the County of ___________________________

    My commission expires:_____________________________

    (2) A candidate counter petition for a recount must be in the following form:

    

    CANDIDATE COUNTER PETITION FOR A RECOUNT

    I ____________________, the counter petitioner, reside at ___________________________, and I counter petition the __________ (state/county) board of canvassers for a recount of the votes cast for the _____________ (Office/District/Party) at the election.

    I request that the additional following precincts, absent voter counting board (AVCB) precincts, and early voting precincts within the listed jurisdictions be recounted:

    Precinct/AVCB Precinct/Early Voting Precinct Number

    Name of Jurisdiction

    _____________

    _____________________________________

    _____________

    _____________________________________

    _____________

    _____________________________________

     

    (List additional precincts/vote centers on the back or attach additional sheets)

    Specifically explain the error in the canvass or returns of votes:

    __________________________________________________________________

    __________________________________________________________________

    __________________________________________________________________

    My deposit of $________ is enclosed.

    Signature of candidate:___________________________________

    Date of signature:________________________________________

    

    Subscribed and sworn to before me this __ day of _____, 20___

    Name of notary public:__________________________

    Signature of notary public:_______________________________

    Notary public, State of Michigan, County of _________________

    Acting in the County of ___________________________

    My commission expires:_____________________________

    (3) Except as otherwise provided under subsection (5), a ballot question committee petition for a recount must be in the following form:

    

    BALLOT QUESTION COMMITTEE PETITION FOR A RECOUNT

    I _______________________, an authorized representative of _________________, petition the ______________ (state/county) board of canvassers for a recount of the votes cast for the _____________ (ballot question) at the ______________ election. The ballot question committee has a good-faith belief that, but for error, the result of the ballot question would have been the opposite. The ballot question committee is requesting a recount of sufficient votes to change the result of the election.

    The ballot question committee requests that the following precincts, absent voter counting board (AVCB) precincts, and early voting precincts within the listed jurisdictions be recounted:

    Precinct/AVCB Precinct/Early Voting Precinct Number

    Name of Jurisdiction

    _____________

    _____________________________________

    _____________

    _____________________________________

    _____________

    _____________________________________

     

    (List additional precincts/vote centers on the back or attach additional sheets)

    Specifically explain the error in the canvass or returns of votes:

    __________________________________________________________________

    __________________________________________________________________

    __________________________________________________________________

    My deposit of $________ is enclosed.

    Signature of ballot question committee representative:

    ____________________________

    Date of signature:_________________________________

    

    Subscribed and sworn to before me this __ day of _____, 20___

    Name of notary public:__________________________

    Signature of notary public:_______________________________

    Notary public, State of Michigan, County of _________________

    Acting in the County of ___________________________

    My commission expires:_____________________________

    (4) Except as otherwise provided under subsection (5), a ballot question committee counter petition for a recount must be in the following form:

    

    BALLOT QUESTION COMMITTEE COUNTER PETITION FOR A RECOUNT

    I ________________________, an authorized representative of _________________, counter petition the ______________ (state/county) board of canvassers for a recount of the votes cast for the _________________ (ballot question) at the election.

    The ballot question committee requests that the additional following precincts, absent voter counting board (AVCB) precincts, and early voting precincts within the listed jurisdictions be recounted:

    Precinct/AVCB Precinct/Early Voting Precinct Number

    Name of Jurisdiction

    _____________

    _____________________________________

    _____________

    _____________________________________

    _____________

    _____________________________________

     

    (List additional precincts/vote centers on the back or attach additional sheets)

    Specifically explain the error in the canvass or returns of votes:

    __________________________________________________________________

    __________________________________________________________________

    __________________________________________________________________

    My deposit of $________ is enclosed.

    Signature of ballot question committee representative:

    ____________________________

    Date of signature:___________________________

    

    Subscribed and sworn to before me this __ day of _____, 20___

    Name of notary public:__________________________

    Signature of notary public:_______________________________

    Notary public, State of Michigan, County of _________________

    Acting in the County of ___________________________

    My commission expires:_____________________________

    (5) The secretary of state shall modify the ballot question committee petition for a recount form under subsection (3) and the ballot question committee counter petition for a recount form under subsection (4) as appropriate to allow an elector to file either petition as authorized under sections 863 and 880.

    

    

History: 1954, Act 116, Eff. June 1, 1955 ;-- Am. 2024, Act 74, Eff. Apr. 2, 2025

PopularName Notes:

Election Code
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 2 cases, 1997–2016 · leading case: McLogan v. Craig, 174 N.W.2d 166 (Mich. Ct. App. 1997).
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McLogan v. Craig, 174 N.W.2d 166 (Mich. Ct. App. 1997). · cites it 2× “” The succeeding sections which are applicable to the office here involved and which detail the steps for obtaining a recount, being MCLA §§ 168.865 through 168.870 (Stat Ann 1956 Rev §§ 6.”
Donald J Trump v. Bd. of State Canvassers (Mich. 2016). · cites it 2× “862 and MCL 168.865, enacted by the same public act as MCL 168.”
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