Eliminating February Elections Considered

A state House committee has approved a package of bills designed to save local communities money by eliminating February elections where turnout is often low.

Representative Lisa Posthumus Lyons, Republican chair of the House Elections Committee, said the bills started out last term as simply stating an increase in a millage or sinking fund could not be put on a February ballet, but changed into eliminating the election date all together after conversations with various stakeholders.

Currently, there are only four days a year elections are allowed to be held in the state, one of which is the fourth Tuesday in February.

The legislation now goes to the full House for consideration.