(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, when a vacancy occurs in the office of senator or representative in the state legislature, the governor may call a special election in that senatorial or representative district or direct that the vacancy be filled at the next general election.

    (2) If the vacancy occurs after the primary election and before the following general election the governor may direct that the vacancy be filled at that election. If the governor directs that the vacancy be filled at the following general election, the executive committee of the county committee of each political party, if the county comprises 1 or more representative districts, or, if the district is comprised of more than 1 county, then the executive committee of the county committee of the respective political parties of each county in the district, may select, by a majority vote, a candidate for that office, and shall certify the name of the candidate to the county board of election commissioners of the county or counties comprising that representative district within 21 days after the vacancy occurs and at least 10 days before the general election. Upon certification, the candidate certified shall be the nominee of that party at that general election to fill the vacancy for the unexpired term with the same force and effect as if the person was nominated at a primary election as otherwise provided in this act. If the ballots for that election have already been printed before the certification, then the board of election commissioners shall cause the names of the candidates to be printed on a separate ballot, which ballot shall be counted, canvassed, and returned as other ballots cast at that election.

    (3) If the governor directs that the vacancy be filled at the next general election, the secretary of state shall give notice of that decision similar to the notice provided for in section 651.