In an effort to increase voter turnout and save school districts and local governments money, a bill introduced in the state House would establish a set number of election days in Michigan.
Sponsors and supporters met at the state Capitol Wednesday to discuss the legislation.
"This is about the voters, we need to make this as simple as possible," Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land said. "We want to consolidate these dates so people know when elections are. The voters deserve a more efficient system."
A series of nine bills with bipartisan sponsorship make up a package which aims to make the voting process easier for Michigan residents. The bills would reduce the number of elections, at any level, to four.
The dates include the fourth Tuesday in February, the first Tuesday after the first Monday in May, the first Tuesday after the first Monday in August and the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
During an election year there are normally three elections - primary, general and school board . But special elections might be called for local government bodies or at school districts.
The bill sits at the state House Local Government and Urban Policy Committee.
A similar bill was introduced and passed in the Senate last year but died in the House.
Rep. Chris Ward, R- Brighton, who is the main sponsor of one of the bills, said the package has a better shot of passing the second time around because of cash-strapped school systems and local governments.
"I'm very optimistic that these bills will be passed by the House," he said. "It will increase voter participation and protect voters when elections are called when they typically aren't held."
Ward said there was a school election in Brighton on Monday, which resulted in less than 1-percent voter turnout.
In addition to specifying the dates of elections, the school board elections would be managed by county clerks instead of local school districts.
Ward said when school districts run elections, depending on the size of the district, cost might range from a few thousand dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars. With the proposed legislation, schools will get the opportunity to choose which date the school board runs the election. If they choose the date in November, schools would not have to pay anything because the bill will covered by either federal or state dollars.
Land said the package, along with a new federal grant, will transform the electoral process in the state.
"When voters have a reason to go to the ballots they will come," she said.
Michigan stands to receive $45 million in federal funding from the Help America Vote Act, or HAVA, later this year. The program is designed to help states improve polling access, replace outdated equipment and help voters overseas.
Some students say they aren't convinced the new initiatives will have any impact on them voting.
"The problem with some students is some are registered in one county and go to school in another," humanities and pre-law senior Allyson Miller said. "I don't know if there'll be any difference (in voting) but it might be more convenient."
