Michigan HR359: A resolution to urge the Michigan Department of State to rescind Administrative Rule R 168.48, to align the Department’s administrative rules with federal election laws and make Michigan election records less susceptible to manipulation by foreign actors.

What the bill says

A resolution to urge the Michigan Department of State to rescind Administrative Rule R 168.48, to align the Department’s administrative rules with federal election laws and make Michigan election records less susceptible to manipulation by foreign actors.

From the introduced text, September 22, 2026:

A resolution to urge the Michigan Department of State to rescind Administrative Rule R 168.48, to align the Department’s administrative rules with federal election laws and make Michigan election records less susceptible to manipulation by foreign actors. Whereas, Federal law imposes record retention requirements on election workers. Specifically, under 52 U.S.C. § 20701, “[e]very officer of election shall retain and preserve, for a period of twenty-two months” from the date of any election for federal office “all records and papers which come into [the officer’s] possession relating to any application, registration, payment of poll tax, or other act requisite to voting in such election.” County, township, and city clerks in Michigan qualify as “officers of election” for purposes of this law, due to their election administration responsibilities; and Whereas, The Michigan Department of State recently promulgated rules on the use of the electronic pollbook in Rule Set No. 2025-14, codified as Michigan Administrative Code R 168.41 to 168.48. These rules require clerks to either use a secure live connection to the Qualified Voter File software, to allow real-time updates to voter history and ballot issuance, or upload voting history and other required files from the electronic pollbook to the Qualified Voter File within seven days after an election. Rule 8, R 168.48, provides: (1) Subject to subrule (2) of this …

Read the full official text

Sponsors

• Smit, Rachelle (R, 43) · primary sponsor
• Alexander, Gregory (R, 98)
• Fox, Joseph (R, 101)
• Kelly, Tim (R, 93)

Latest actions

1. September 22, 2026: referred to Committee on Election Integrity
2. September 22, 2026: introduced by Representative Rep. Rachelle Smit

Common questions

What is HR359?

HR359 is a bill in the Michigan Legislature (103rd Legislature): A resolution to urge the Michigan Department of State to rescind Administrative Rule R 168.48, to align the Department’s administrative rules with federal election laws and make Michigan election records less susceptible to manipulation by foreign actors.

What does HR359 do?

In its own words: A resolution to urge the Michigan Department of State to rescind Administrative Rule R 168.48, to align the Department’s administrative rules with federal election laws and make Michigan election records less susceptible to manipulation by foreign actors.

What is the status of HR359?

In committee as of September 22, 2026. Latest action: referred to Committee on Election Integrity (September 22, 2026).

Who sponsored HR359?

Smit, Rachelle (R, 43), with 3 co-sponsors.

Where is the official record for HR359?

On the Michigan Legislature website: https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2026-HR-0359