---
type: "Bill"
title: "Elections: absent voters; electronic return of absent voter ballots by military voters using Department of Defense Common Access Cards; allow. Amends sec. 759a of 1954 PA 116 (MCL 168.759a) ."
description: "Elections: absent voters; electronic return of absent voter ballots by military voters using Department of Defense Common Access Cards; allow. Amends sec. 759a of 1954 PA 116 (MCL 168.759a) ."
jurisdiction: "us/states/mi"
legislature: "Michigan Legislature"
session: "2021-2022"
identifier: "SB 311"
citation: "Michigan SB 311 (2021-2022)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Elections: absent voters", "Elections: ballots", "Elections: election officials", "Elections: voters", "Military affairs: other", "State agencies (existing): other"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Ruth Johnson"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 34
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2021-03-24T04:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2022-12-08T05:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/4846fb60-9c19-4c59-9791-1039ce300611"
source_url: "http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?2021-SB-0311"
source_hash: "128c111a7201aae51c54e5508eb0bc9c3b5a66fbd942da22898d7a3b65209ca0"
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 SB 311 (2021-2022) — Elections: absent voters; electronic return of absent voter ballots by military voters using Department of Defense Common Access Cards; allow. Amends sec. 759a of 1954 PA 116 (MCL 168.759a) .

## 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://legislature.mi.gov/documents/2021-2022/billengrossed/Senate/htm/2021-SEBH-0311.htm)
2. **As Passed by the Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](http://legislature.mi.gov/documents/2021-2022/billengrossed/Senate/htm/2021-SEBS-0311.htm)
3. **Public Act** (committee substitute) — [source](http://legislature.mi.gov/documents/2021-2022/publicact/htm/2022-PA-0197.htm)
4. **Senate Concurred Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://legislature.mi.gov/documents/2021-2022/billconcurred/Senate/htm/2021-SCB-0311.htm)
5. **Senate Introduced Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://legislature.mi.gov/documents/2021-2022/billintroduced/Senate/htm/2021-SIB-0311.htm)

## Votes

- PASSED ROLL CALL # 302 YEAS 34 NAYS 1 EXCUSED 1 NOT VOTING 0 — **34–1** (pass) · upper
- passed; given immediate effect Roll Call # 450 Yeas 98 Nays 6 Excused 0 Not Voting 5 — **98–6** (pass) · lower
- ROLL CALL: ROLL CALL # 471 YEAS 30 NAYS 1 EXCUSED 6 NOT VOTING 1 — **30–1** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Ruth Johnson — primary (person)
- Curtis VanderWall — cosponsor (person)
- Dale Zorn — cosponsor (person)
- Jim Stamas — cosponsor (person)
- Jon Bumstead — cosponsor (person)
- Kenneth Horn — cosponsor (person)
- Kevin Daley — cosponsor (person)
- Kimberly LaSata — cosponsor (person)
- Rick Outman — cosponsor (person)
- Roger Victory — cosponsor (person)
- Tom Barrett — cosponsor (person)
- Wayne Schmidt — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2022-09-28T04:00:00+00:00** ORDERED ENROLLED
- **2021-03-24T04:00:00+00:00** INTRODUCED BY SENATOR RUTH A. JOHNSON `introduction`
- **2021-03-24T04:00:00+00:00** REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ELECTIONS `referral-committee`
- **2021-06-17T04:00:00+00:00** REPORTED FAVORABLY WITH SUBSTITUTE (S-1) `committee-passage`
- **2021-06-17T04:00:00+00:00** COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED IMMEDIATE EFFECT
- **2021-06-17T04:00:00+00:00** REFERRED TO COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE WITH SUBSTITUTE (S-1) `referral-committee`
- **2021-06-23T04:00:00+00:00** REPORTED BY COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE FAVORABLY WITH SUBSTITUTE (S-1) `committee-passage`
- **2021-06-23T04:00:00+00:00** SUBSTITUTE (S-1) CONCURRED IN
- **2021-06-23T04:00:00+00:00** PLACED ON ORDER OF THIRD READING WITH SUBSTITUTE (S-1)
- **2021-06-24T04:00:00+00:00** SUBSTITUTE (S-2) DEFEATED
- **2021-06-24T04:00:00+00:00** PASSED ROLL CALL # 302 YEAS 34 NAYS 1 EXCUSED 1 NOT VOTING 0 `passage`
- **2021-06-24T04:00:00+00:00** received on 06/24/2021 `introduction`
- **2021-06-24T04:00:00+00:00** read a first time `reading-1`
- **2021-06-24T04:00:00+00:00** referred to Committee on Elections and Ethics `referral-committee`
- **2022-09-28T04:00:00+00:00** rule suspended
- **2022-09-28T04:00:00+00:00** motion to discharge committee approved
- **2022-09-28T04:00:00+00:00** placed on second reading
- **2022-09-28T04:00:00+00:00** read a second time `reading-2`
- **2022-09-28T04:00:00+00:00** substitute (H-1) adopted
- **2022-12-08T05:00:00+00:00** placed on third reading
- **2022-09-28T04:00:00+00:00** placed on immediate passage
- **2022-09-28T04:00:00+00:00** read a third time `reading-3`
- **2022-09-28T04:00:00+00:00** passed; given immediate effect Roll Call # 450 Yeas 98 Nays 6 Excused 0 Not Voting 5 `passage`
- **2022-09-28T04:00:00+00:00** inserted full title
- **2022-09-28T04:00:00+00:00** returned to Senate
- **2022-09-28T04:00:00+00:00** HOUSE SUBSTITUTE (H-1) CONCURRED IN
- **2022-09-28T04:00:00+00:00** ROLL CALL: ROLL CALL # 471 YEAS 30 NAYS 1 EXCUSED 6 NOT VOTING 1
- **2022-09-28T04:00:00+00:00** GIVEN IMMEDIATE EFFECT
- **2022-09-28T04:00:00+00:00** FULL TITLE AGREED TO
- **2022-09-28T04:00:00+00:00** ORDERED ENROLLED
- **2022-10-11T04:00:00+00:00** PRESENTED TO GOVERNOR 10/03/2022 02:30 PM `executive-receipt`
- **2022-10-11T04:00:00+00:00** APPROVED BY GOVERNOR 10/07/2022 03:32 PM `executive-signature`
- **2022-10-11T04:00:00+00:00** FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE 10/07/2022 04:52 PM
- **2022-10-11T04:00:00+00:00** ASSIGNED PA 0197'22 WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/4846fb60-9c19-4c59-9791-1039ce300611`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Michigan legislature records).