---
type: "Bill"
title: "Elections; absent voters; procedure to \"spoil\" an absent voter ballot; provide for, and require use of paper ballots for tabulation. Amends secs. 765 & 795 of 1954 PA 116 (MCL 168.765 & 168.795) & adds sec. 765b."
description: "Elections; absent voters; procedure to \"spoil\" an absent voter ballot; provide for, and require use of paper ballots for tabulation. Amends secs. 765 & 795 of 1954 PA 116 (MCL 168.765 & 168.795) & adds sec. 765b."
jurisdiction: "us/states/mi"
legislature: "Michigan Legislature"
session: "2017-2018"
identifier: "HB 5644"
citation: "Michigan HB 5644 (2017-2018)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Elections: absent voters", "Elections: voters", "Elections: voting procedures", "Elections: election officials", "Elections: voting equipment"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 5
action_count: 31
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2018-02-27T05:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2018-05-03T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/251d7f2c-33f1-46c1-a359-ca89c49eefb4"
source_url: "http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?2018-HB-5644"
source_hash: "b50655946bbd54eaf720d9e45d7c9bb0af355e29fbcb597af5ef5cdafccb1e5f"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-mi"]
---

# Michigan HB 5644 (2017-2018) — Elections; absent voters; procedure to "spoil" an absent voter ballot; provide for, and require use of paper ballots for tabulation. Amends secs. 765 & 795 of 1954 PA 116 (MCL 168.765 & 168.795) & adds sec. 765b.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **As Passed by the House** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2017-2018/billengrossed/House/htm/2018-HEBH-5644.htm)
2. **As Passed by the Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2017-2018/billengrossed/House/htm/2018-HEBS-5644.htm)
3. **House Concurred Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2017-2018/billconcurred/House/htm/2018-HCB-5644.htm)
4. **House Introduced Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2017-2018/billintroduced/House/htm/2018-HIB-5644.htm)
5. **Public Act** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2017-2018/publicact/htm/2018-PA-0127.htm)

## Votes

- passed; given immediate effect Roll Call # 170 Yeas 105 Nays 1 — **105–1** (pass) · lower
- PASSED; GIVEN IMMEDIATE EFFECT ROLL CALL # 210 YEAS 35 NAYS 0 EXCUSED 2 NOT VOTING 0 — **35–0** (pass) · upper
- Roll Call # 232 Yeas 107 Nays 2 — **107–2** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- 71 — cosponsor (person)
- Aaron Miller — cosponsor (person)
- Tom Barrett — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2018-02-27T05:00:00+00:00** introduced by Representative Tom Barrett `introduction`
- **2018-02-27T05:00:00+00:00** read a first time `reading-1`
- **2018-02-27T05:00:00+00:00** referred to Committee on Elections and Ethics `referral-committee`
- **2018-02-28T05:00:00+00:00** bill electronically reproduced 02/27/2018
- **2018-03-08T05:00:00+00:00** reported with recommendation with substitute H-1 `committee-passage`
- **2018-03-08T05:00:00+00:00** referred to second reading
- **2018-03-14T04:00:00+00:00** read a second time `reading-2`
- **2018-03-14T04:00:00+00:00** substitute H-1 adopted
- **2018-03-14T04:00:00+00:00** placed on third reading
- **2018-03-15T04:00:00+00:00** read a third time `reading-3`
- **2018-03-15T04:00:00+00:00** passed; given immediate effect Roll Call # 170 Yeas 105 Nays 1 `passage`
- **2018-03-15T04:00:00+00:00** transmitted
- **2018-03-20T04:00:00+00:00** REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ELECTIONS AND GOVERNMENT REFORM `referral-committee`
- **2018-04-17T04:00:00+00:00** REPORTED FAVORABLY WITH SUBSTITUTE S-1 `committee-passage`
- **2018-04-17T04:00:00+00:00** COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED IMMEDIATE EFFECT
- **2018-04-17T04:00:00+00:00** REFERRED TO COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE WITH SUBSTITUTE S-1 `referral-committee`
- **2018-04-17T04:00:00+00:00** REPORTED BY COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE FAVORABLY WITH SUBSTITUTE S-2 `committee-passage`
- **2018-04-17T04:00:00+00:00** SUBSTITUTE S-2 CONCURRED IN
- **2018-04-17T04:00:00+00:00** PLACED ON ORDER OF THIRD READING WITH SUBSTITUTE S-2
- **2018-04-18T04:00:00+00:00** PASSED; GIVEN IMMEDIATE EFFECT ROLL CALL # 210 YEAS 35 NAYS 0 EXCUSED 2 NOT VOTING 0 `passage`
- **2018-04-18T04:00:00+00:00** INSERTED FULL TITLE
- **2018-04-18T04:00:00+00:00** returned from Senate with substitute S-2 with immediate effect and title amendment
- **2018-04-18T04:00:00+00:00** laid over one day under the rules
- **2018-04-19T04:00:00+00:00** Senate substitute S-2 concurred in
- **2018-04-19T04:00:00+00:00** Roll Call # 232 Yeas 107 Nays 2
- **2018-04-19T04:00:00+00:00** full title agreed to
- **2018-04-19T04:00:00+00:00** bill ordered enrolled
- **2018-04-24T04:00:00+00:00** presented to the Governor 4/23/2018 @ 12:26 PM `executive-receipt`
- **2018-05-03T04:00:00+00:00** approved by the Governor 5/2/2018 @ 8:34 PM `executive-signature`
- **2018-05-03T04:00:00+00:00** filed with Secretary of State 5/3/2018 @ 11:30 AM
- **2018-05-03T04:00:00+00:00** assigned PA 127'18 with immediate effect

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/251d7f2c-33f1-46c1-a359-ca89c49eefb4`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Michigan legislature records).