State Rep. Mike Hoadley today celebrated the passage of his plan to ensure that local elected officials are sworn into office in an appropriate and timely manner.  

“Safeguarding our elections is the only way to guarantee true election integrity,” said Hoadley (R-Au Gres). “Our current election laws needed more clarity in order to protect the will of the voters, and we delivered. I was glad to see that this was a bipartisan effort.” 

The bill package, sponsored by Hoadley, Rep. Pat Outman, and Sen. Jeremy Moss, changes the term of office for township, village, and city officials in the state of Michigan to ensure that elected officials are sworn into office no earlier than December 1. The bills were introduced in response to recent electoral changes which give more time for military and overseas ballots to arrive. This could lead to local officials taking office before the final election results have been properly certified and tallied. 

“We needed a solution, and we took action,” Hoadley said. “Voters must have confidence that every ballot has been counted before their officials assume office. Our plan provides clarity for communities and prevents potential confusion during the certification process. We need these kinds of measures in place to ensure that we can have firm public trust in these outcomes.” 

The bills received overwhelming bipartisan support and now head to Governor Whitmer for final approval.