Michigan Laws 168.932 – Prohibited conduct; violation as felony
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A person who violates 1 or more of the following subdivisions is guilty of a felony:
(a) A person shall not attempt, by means of bribery, menace, or other corrupt means or device, either directly or indirectly, to influence an elector in giving his or her vote, or to deter the elector from, or interrupt the elector in giving his or her vote at any election held in this state.
For details, see Mich. Comp. Laws ch. 777 pt. 2
Attorney's Note
Under the Michigan Laws, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| E | up to 5 years |
Terms Used In Michigan Laws 168.932
- Absent voter: is a voter who utilizes the process described in section 759. See Michigan Laws 168.2
- Absent voter ballot: means a ballot that is issued to a voter through the absent voter process. See Michigan Laws 168.2
- Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
- Common carrier: means a company that transports mail, on reasonable request, on regular routes and at set rates. See Michigan Laws 168.2
- Election: means an election or primary election at which the electors of this state or of a subdivision of this state choose or nominate by ballot an individual for public office or decide a ballot question lawfully submitted to them. See Michigan Laws 168.2
- Immediate family: means an individual's father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, and spouse and a relative of any degree residing in the same household as that individual. See Michigan Laws 168.2
- person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, as well as to individuals. See Michigan Laws 8.3l
- School district: means a school district, a local act school district, or an intermediate school district, as those terms are defined in the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380. See Michigan Laws 168.4
- state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories belonging to the United States; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the district and territories. See Michigan Laws 8.3o
- village: as used in this act , shall mean an incorporated village. See Michigan Laws 168.9
(b) A person not duly authorized by law shall not, during the progress of any election or after the closing of the polls and before the final results of the election have been ascertained, break open or violate the seals or locks of any ballot box or voting machine used or in use at that election. A person shall not willfully damage or destroy any ballot box or voting machine. A person shall not obtain undue possession of that ballot box or voting machine. A person shall not conceal, withhold, or destroy a ballot box or voting machine, or fraudulently or forcibly add to or diminish the number of ballots legally deposited in the box or the totals on the voting machine. A person shall not aid or abet in any act prohibited by this subdivision.
(c) An inspector of election, clerk, or other officer or person having custody of any record, election list of voters, affidavit, return, statement of votes, certificates, poll book, or of any paper, document, or vote of any description, which pursuant to this act is directed to be made, filed, or preserved, shall not willfully destroy, mutilate, deface, falsify, or fraudulently remove or secrete any or all of those items, in whole or in part, or fraudulently make any entry, erasure, or alteration on any or all of those items, or permit any other person to do so.
(d) A person shall neither disclose to any other person the name of any candidate voted for by any elector, the contents of whose ballots were seen by the person, nor in any manner obstruct or attempt to obstruct any elector in the exercise of his or her duties as an elector under this act.
(e) A person who is not involved in the counting of ballots as provided by law and who has possession of an absent voter ballot mailed or delivered to another person shall not do any of the following:
(i) Open the envelope containing the ballot.
(ii) Make any marking on the ballot.
(iii) Alter the ballot in any way.
(iv) Substitute another ballot for the absent voter ballot that the person possesses.
(f) A person other than an absent voter; a person whose job it is to handle mail before, during, or after being transported by a public postal service, express mail service, parcel post service, or common carrier, but only during the normal course of his or her employment; a clerk or assistant of the clerk; a member of the immediate family of the absent voter including father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandparent, or grandchild; or a person residing in the absent voter’s household shall not do any of the following:
(i) Possess an absent voter ballot mailed or delivered to another person, regardless of whether the ballot has been voted.
(ii) Return, solicit to return, or agree to return an absent voter ballot to the clerk of a city, township, village, or school district.
(g) A person who assists an absent voter who is disabled or otherwise unable to mark the ballot shall only render his or her assistance by showing the absent voter how to vote the ballot as the absent voter desires or by marking the ballot as directed by the absent voter. A person who assists an absent voter who is disabled or otherwise unable to mark the ballot shall not suggest or in any manner attempt to influence the absent voter on how he or she should vote or allow any other person to do so.
(h) A person present while an absent voter is voting an absent voter ballot shall not suggest or in any manner attempt to influence the absent voter on how he or she should vote.
(i) A person shall not plan or organize a meeting at which absent voter ballots are to be voted.