History and Duties of The Michigan Board of State Canvassers

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It is important, as voters we understand how our election system works. Today, we will learn about the history and duties of the Michigan Board of State Canvassers.

The Michigan Board of State Canvassers was created by the State Constitution of 1850.

Over the years, the structure of the board has changed. Currently, the Board is composed of four members who are appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate.

Two board members are selected from each of the two political parties receiving the greatest number of votes in the last election for Secretary of State. Board members serve four-year terms. The terms are staggered so that the term of a Republican seat and the term of a Democratic seat expires in February of each odd-numbered year.

The duties of the Board of State Canvassers include:

= Canvassing and certifying statewide elections, elections for legislative districts that cross county lines, and all judicial offices except Judge or the Probate Court.

=Conducting recounts for state-level offices.

=Canvassing nominating petitions filed with the Secretary of State.

=Canvassing state-level ballot proposal petitions.

=Assigning ballot designations and adopting ballot language for statewide ballot proposals.

=Approving electronic voting systems for use in the state.

You can find this and other important election information on the Official Website of Michigan.gov Vote voiced thanks you for your support. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Listen to the Vote Voiced podcast on Anchor and other podcast platforms. Look for Vote Voiced on TikTok.