Michigan Lawmakers Debate Election Recusal for Secretary of State

The Michigan House of Representatives weighs a bill requiring the Secretary of State to step aside from election duties while running for office, shifting temporary oversight to the deputy. Members scrutinize how this firewall would work in a clerk-run system and question gaps around conflicts of interest and the deputy’s role. 9mins

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Original Meeting

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2026
3320.0
Election Integrity - 9/22/2026
Video Notes

00:00 Agenda

07:57 Gavel

08:32 Presentation on JCAR/MOAHR/election rules, by Patrice Johnson from PIME

29:15 House Bill 5968 (Wortz): Elections: candidates; duties and responsibilities of administering elections; require to be performed by the deputy secretary of state if the secretary of state is a candidate for office.

43:38 Senate Bill 820 (Sen. Wojno): Elections: precinct boundaries; consolidated precincts; allow during certain local elections.

51:30 House Joint Resolution W (Aragona): Elections: candidates; eligibility of an independent citizens redistricting commissioner to run for office; modify.

53:04 House Bill 6090 (Schriver): Elections: candidates; dual citizenship status; require candidates to disclose.

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I am Nikos Michals
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In This Video
  • Representative Wortz presented House Bill 5968, explaining it would require the Secretary of State to recuse from election duties when running for office and designate the Deputy Secretary of State as chief election officer in such cases.
  • Representative Song questioned the need for House Bill 5968 by emphasizing Michigan’s decentralized, clerk-run election system, while Representative Wortz responded that the Secretary of State sets binding rules and argued the bill would add a checks-and-balances style safeguard when that officeholder is a candidate.
  • Committee members questioned how House Bill 5968 would handle situations where there is no Deputy Secretary of State or where the deputy is closely involved in the Secretary’s campaign, prompting Representative Wortz to acknowledge that additional statutory requirements and conflict-of-interest safeguards might be needed.
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