Governor Whitmer Signs Bipartisan Bills to Ensure All Votes Are Counted, Strengthening and Securing Michigan’s Elections

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 22, 2026

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Governor Whitmer Signs Bipartisan Bills to Ensure All Votes Are Counted, Strengthening and Securing Michigan's Elections

Bills ensure that the votes of service members and Michiganders overseas are fairly processed and counted

LANSING, Mich. - Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed four bipartisan bills that amend local elected officials' terms of office to ensure effective implementation of Proposal 2 of 2022, strengthening voting rights and ensuring safe and secure elections. Today's bills build on that work by creating uniform term start dates and ensuring that elected officials are not sworn in until voting results are certified. These bills are particularly important to ensuring overseas voters and service members' votes are properly counted before local elected officials take their oath of office. With this signing, Governor Whitmer has signed 1,594 bipartisan bills.

"Michigan elections are safe and secure," said Governor Whitmer. "I'm proud to sign these bills that will protect ballots sent by mail from our service members and voters overseas. Every Michigan voter deserves the chance to make their voice heard in our elections. Let's keep working together to make sure that every vote counts."

"In Michigan, every voter deserves to have their vote counted," said Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist. "These bills ensure that votes from our service members and Michiganders overseas are processed and tallied fairly. Together, we will stand tall to keep Michigan elections free and fair."

"These bills strengthen two essential foundations of our secure, fair elections - ensuring every eligible citizen can cast their ballot and that every vote is counted," said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. Military servicemembers and their families make sacrifices to keep us safe and free. They deserve to have their voices heard in every election."

Senate Bills 240 and 241, sponsored by state Senator Jeremy Moss (D-Bloomfield), requires township and village local elected officials' terms of office start dates to begin no earlier than December 1 to allow enough time after election day for all votes to be processed and counted.

"Last term, we strengthened election certification in Michigan. This clarified a clear timeline for boards of canvassers to complete their duties and for overseas and military ballots to count. Now, we must take the next commonsense step to ensure our local elected officials are not sworn in before the election results are certified," said state Sen. Jeremy Moss (D-Bloomfield), sponsor of Senate Bills 240-241 and Chair of the Senate Elections Committee. "This bipartisan solution sets a uniform date for local oaths of office to take place and gives our community leaders a firm expectation of when to prepare for their new roles."

House Bill 4358, sponsored by state Representative Mike Hoadley (R-Au Gres), and House Bill 4359, sponsored by state Representative Pat Outman (R-Six Rivers), modify the start dates for the terms of city and village officers to ensure that all votes are counted.

"I'm proud to support HB 4358, which strengthens local election integrity by ensuring elected officials are sworn into office promptly and appropriately," said state Rep. Mike Hoadley (R-Au Gres). "This common-sense reform protects the will of the voters and restores trust in our local government processes."

"HB 4359 is a simple, bipartisan fix that gives local communities more flexibility and helps ensure continuity in local government," said state Rep. Pat Outman (R-Six Rivers). "I appreciate everyone who worked together to get this bill done and look forward to seeing communities benefit from these updates."

Upholding Fair Elections & Good Government

• Signed executive directive to expand access to voting opportunities for Michiganders.

• Signed bills implementing Proposal 2, expanding voting rights in Michigan.

• Signed bills supporting voting rights for overseas military members and families.

• Signed bills allowing pre-processing of absentee ballots two days before Election Day.

• Signed bills to expand voting rights and allow rideshares to polling places.

• Signed bills to improve election security, efficiency, and ensure every vote can be cast and counted.

• Signed bills improving ballot printing efficiency, prohibiting individuals from serving on a board of canvassers if they have been convicted of certain election crimes, and clarifying both the petition process and the timeframe for election lawsuits.

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