By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com

A local legislator is supporting measures to add transparency to the petition process and help clerks run elections more efficiently.

Republican State Representative Ann Bollin of Brighton Township approved three bipartisan reform bills that came before the House, last week. House Bill 5252would require the Secretary of State’s office to post the date when petitions for a proposed ballot question are filed and also provide regular updates. Bollin said, in a release, that there is currently no requirement that the Secretary of State keep the public updated on the status of referendums submitted by citizens, and this will make certain that the public can track the progress as the Bureau of Elections reviews petitions and verifies signatures.

Bollin, who is a former clerk and current chair of the House Elections and Ethics Committee, also voted for House Bill 5228. That bill allows county clerks to email proofs of ballots to the Secretary of State’s office and candidates, rather than the current requirement of sending them via first-class certified mail. Senate Bill 212 then requires candidates for office to provide all the information necessary for the ballot on their affidavit of identity, eliminating the need for local clerks to track down additional partisan, district, and incumbency information. Bollin called these “simple changes” that can be made to help “local clerks do their job without spending extra time and money on unnecessary tasks, creating greater responsibility.”

The House Bills now advance to the Senate for further consideration, while the Senate Bill is currently before the governor for her possible signature.