Citizenship, Politics, Apportionment, and Elections Issues
Memo, 
Where Reapportionment Stands Today Speech given before the American Society for Public Administration (Michigan Capitol Area Chapter) about the status of apportionment in Michigan. ( March 1992 ) 5 pages [21 KB]
CC 942, The Legislative Apportionment Predicament ( June 83 ) 4 pages
Apportionment - State Legislatures
Legislative Apportionment in Michigan
Report 303, ( December 91 ) 28 pages
--- See also CC #1002 --- Examined the difficulties which have attended legislative apportionment in Michigan after the 1960, 1970, 1980, and 1990 decennial censuses; the constitutional and judicial history of legislative apportionment, and the impact of federal voting rights legislation.
CC 1002, Legislative Apportionment in Michigan --- Summarizes Report #303 --- ( December 1991 ) 4 pages [35,216 bytes]
CC 911, Legislative Apportionment in Michigan ( May 1980 ) 4 pages
Elections (voting guides, voting behavior, ballot issues)
Local Ballot Issues in the 2006 General Election
"Local Ballot Issues in the 2006 General Election," just released by the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, analyses the results of local ballot proposals related to tax and governance issues. This is the third analysis of local ballot results in the past four years. Tax issues tended to be successful in past elections (52.3% approval in 2002 and 59.2% approval in 2004), but tax issues in the 2006 general election were only successful 47.6% of the time. Almost half of the governance issues were submitted by cities and villages seeking voter approval of revised charters or amendments to their existing charters. Less than one third of these issues received voter approval.
Local Ballot Issues in the 2004 General Election,
Note 2005-01, ( February 2004 ) 4 pages
Local units of government in Michigan presented their voters with 459 issues on November 2, 2004. Almost three-quarters of the issues involved taxes. The remainder consisted of various governance issues. CRC has summarized the results of those elections.
Local Ballot Issues in the 2002 General Election,
Note 2003-01, ( March 2003 ) 4 pages
Using a list of local ballot issues compiled by the Michigan Department of State and Publius.org, CRC analyzed the 412 ballot issues-45 county, 84 city, 269 township, and 14 special authority-to determine the kinds of issues voted on in the November 2002 general election and the outcomes of the votes.
The Long Ballot in Michigan (statewide and selected local officials)
CC 951 ( November 84 ) 4 pages
Voters in Michigan are asked to elect a large number of state and local government officials, so many in fact, that some jurisdictions had to use paper ballots to supplement voting machines in the general election of 1984.
Misc., Detailed Tabulation of Elective Offices in Michigan --- See CC #951 ( October 84 ) 6 pages
Election Laws
State Ballot Issues on the November General Election Ballot Proposal 02-01: Straight-Ticket Voting; Proposal 02-02: Great Lakes Water Quality Bond Authorization Act,
CRC Memo 1065, ( September 2002 ) 8 pages
Proposal 02-01 is a statutory referendum on Public Act 269 of 2001, which would institute certain changes in voting procedures, including elimination of straight-party voting. Proposal 02-02 asks for voter approval of a $1 billion bond issue over 10 years to assist local communities in sewer construction and control of nonpoint source pollution.
Report 313-4, Michigan Constitutional Issues ... Elections And Term Limitation Provisions In The Michigan Constitution, Examines provisions of Article 2 that a constitution convention might consider: obsolete provisions; the functioning of the board of state canvassers; and details relating to the powers of initiative and referendum ( July 1994 ) 4 pages [29,474 bytes]
The Long Ballot in Michigan
CC 951, ( November 84 ) 4 pages
Voters in Michigan are asked to elect a large number of state and local government officials, so many in fact, that some jurisdictions had to use paper ballots to supplement voting machines in the general election of 1984.
Memo, Issues Relative to the Initiative Petition to Reduce Property Assessment Ratios Examined the statutory initiative process; the meaning of the term "session days" and other related issues. ( September 90 ) 5 pages
Legislative Term Limits and Full-Time and Part-Time Legislatures
Note 2007-03, ( June 2007 ) 4 pages
Proposals for a part time legislature have resurfaced in Lansing as part of discussions on restructuring and reducing the cost of state government. Unless the state's Constitution is amended, any proposed new restrictions on the duration of legislative sessions would be superimposed on Michigan's existing legislative term limits, which are among the most restrictive in the nation. In its most recent CRC Note, Citizens Research Council examines the interplay of term limits and full- and part-time legislatures in the 50 states.
Michigan is one of only four states that have a full-time legislature that is paid accordingly; seven other states have a nearly full-time legislature. Of the 15 states that currently have legislative term limits, Michigan and California have true full-time legislatures, while Florida and Ohio have nearly full-time legislatures. Term limited legislatures in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma are considered hybrid, in that legislators typically spend about two-thirds of the time that would be required by a full-time job, although regular legislative sessions may be scheduled for only a few months of the year. Maine, Montana, Nevada, and South Dakota have both legislative term limits and part-time legislatures, in which legislators spend less than half of the time that a full-time job would require.
Michigan is in the ironic position of having no restrictions on the length of its legislative sessions while at the same time having one of the most stringent term limit restrictions in the nation.
Report 313-4, Michigan Constitutional Issues ... Elections And Term Limitation Provisions In The Michigan Constitution, Examines provisions of Article 2 that a constitution convention might consider: obsolete provisions; the functioning of the board of state canvassers; and details relating to the powers of initiative and referendum ( July 1994 ) 4 pages [29,474 bytes]
Report 310-12, Detroit City Charter Revision Issues ... Term Limitations For Local Officials, Examines local term limitation issues as they might apply to the elected officials in the City of Detroit ( October 1993 ) 2 pages [26,082 bytes]
CC 1010, Statewide Ballot Proposals - I: Proposal B: Term Limitations, Analyzed the term limitation proposal for the Michigan congressional delegation and state elected officials which was on the statewide ballot at the November 1992 general election. ( September 92 ) 5 pages [42,027 bytes]
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Last Updated June 18, 2006
