{"data":{"id":"us-mi/mich.-comp.-laws-168.590h","jurisdiction":"us-mi","citation":"Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.590h","heading":"Qualifying petition; size; type size; form; reference to political party prohibited; prohibited conduct; violations; misdemeanor; felony; penalties.","body":"Sec. 590h.\n\n(1) A qualifying petition for a candidate without political party affiliation must be the same size and printed in the same type sizes as required in section 544c. The petition must be in the following form:\n\nQUALIFYING PETITION (CANDIDATE WITHOUT PARTY AFFILIATION) We, the undersigned, registered and qualified voters of the city or township of ............, in the county of .......... (strike 1) and state of Michigan, nominate, ............................., (Name of Candidate) ................................. ............................, (Street Address or R.R.) (City or Township) as a candidate without party affiliation for the office of ........................................................... in (Title of Office and District) order that the name of the candidate be placed without party affiliation on the ballot for the election to be held on the .............. day of ............ , 20.... . WARNING\n\nQUALIFYING PETITION\n\n(CANDIDATE WITHOUT PARTY AFFILIATION)\n\nWe, the undersigned, registered and qualified voters of the\n\ncity or township of ............, in the county of ..........\n\n(strike 1)\n\nand state of Michigan, nominate,\n\n.............................,\n\n(Name of Candidate)\n\n.................................\n\n............................,\n\n(Street Address or R.R.)\n\n(City or Township)\n\nas a candidate without party affiliation for the office of\n\n........................................................... in\n\n(Title of Office and District)\n\norder that the name of the candidate be placed without party\n\naffiliation on the ballot for the election to be held on\n\nthe .............. day of ............ , 20.... .\n\nWARNING\n\nWhoever knowingly signs more petitions for the same office than there are persons to be elected to the office or signs a name other than his or her own is violating the Michigan election law.\n\n(2) The balance of the qualifying petition form must be substantially as set forth in section 544c. A qualifying petition for a candidate without party affiliation must not contain a reference to a political party.\n\n(3) An individual shall not knowingly sign more petitions for the same office than there are persons to be elected to the office. An individual who violates this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor.\n\n(4) An individual shall not do any of the following:\n\n(a) Sign a qualifying petition with a name other than his or her own.\n\n(b) Make a false statement in a certificate on a qualifying petition.\n\n(c) If not a circulator, sign a qualifying petition as a circulator.\n\n(d) Sign a name as circulator other than his or her own.\n\n(5) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (6), an individual who violates subsection (4) is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $500.00 or imprisonment for not more than 93 days, or both.\n\n(6) An individual shall not sign a qualifying petition with multiple names. An individual who violates this subsection is guilty of a felony.\n\n(7) If an individual signs a qualifying petition in violation of this section, any signature by that individual on the petition is invalid and must not be counted.","path":["MI Code","Chapter 168","Act Act-116-of-1954"],"source_url":"https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-168-590h","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:31Z","sha256":"a3760aa6d45037efbb730f5c4839b6179b0c3270bf7bb3efae23aeccb5d9641c","source_id":"us-mi","stale":false,"prev":"us-mi/mich.-comp.-laws-168.590g","next":"us-mi/mich.-comp.-laws-168.591"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}