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HB 4588MICHIGANSession 2025-2026State Billin committee

Michigan House Bill 4588 requires partisan affiliation for local school district board member candidates

Original title: Elections: school; school district board member candidates; require to have a partisan affiliation.

Last action · October 28, 2025: referred to second readingSponsors: Jason Woolford and 2 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Would Do

board member candidates in Michigan would be required to run with a under House Bill 4588, amending the Michigan election law. The legislation updates candidate s, ballot placement orders, and specifies that local school district races must be partisan while other school districts remain nonpartisan.

Why it matters

School board candidates in local districts would be listed with political party labels on ballots, altering how voters identify candidate affiliations and potentially shifting local campaign dynamics.

Who It Would Affect

Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

School district board member candidates

Candidates for local school district boards must declare a partisan affiliation on their nominating petitions and run under a party designation.

Directly affected

School district voters

Voters will see political party designations next to local school district board candidates on the general election ballot.

Directly affected

School district filing officials

Filing officials must process partisan nominating petitions, collect filing fees, and notify county clerks of candidate names and withdrawal notices.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many signatures do local school board candidates need on their nominating petitions?
Candidates need a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 20 signatures if the school district population is under 10,000. For districts with a population of 10,000 or more, candidates need a minimum of 40 and a maximum of 100 signatures.
Can school board candidates pay a fee instead of collecting petition signatures?
Yes, candidates may pay a nonrefundable filing fee of $100.00 to the school district filing official by the due date instead of filing s.
Do these partisan changes apply to all school districts in Michigan?
No, the requirement for partisan s applies specifically to s, while candidates for school districts other than local school districts must remain nonpartisan.

What else do you want to know?

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Where This Stands

Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Procedural history

6 actions
  1. Oct 28, 2025House
    referred to second reading
  2. Oct 28, 2025HouseCommittee
    reported with recommendation with substitute (H-1)
  3. Jun 11, 2025House
    bill electronically reproduced 06/10/2025
  4. Jun 10, 2025HouseCommittee
    referred to Committee on Election Integrity
  5. Jun 10, 2025HouseIntroduced
    read a first time
  6. Jun 10, 2025HouseIntroduced
    introduced by Representative Rep. Jason Woolford

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Sponsors

Jason WoolfordHouse · District 50RepublicanPrimary sponsor
Matt MaddockHouse · District 51RepublicanCosponsor
Josh SchriverHouse · District 66RepublicanCosponsor

Connected Entities

Michigan State University, Wayne State University, Michigan and 1 more
OrganizationMichigan State University“Mentioned in ballot ordering provisions for trustees.”Map →
OrganizationWayne State University“Mentioned in ballot ordering provisions for governors.”Map →
locationMichigan“State where the election law applies.”Map →
OrganizationUniversity of Michigan“Mentioned in ballot ordering provisions for regents.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

legislature.mi.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance65
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy75
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz50
    Current news / social attention level

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