HB 4765 Michigan House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Elections: registration; proof of United States citizenship when registering to vote and identification when voting; require. Amends secs. 493a, 493b, 495, 509gg & 509ii of 1954 PA 116 (MCL 168.493a et seq.) & adds sec. 496c.

HB 4765 establishes automatic voter registration for Michigan residents when they apply for or update a driver's license, state ID card, or change their address, provided they submit U.S. citizenship documentation. It directly affects individuals applying for these state services who meet voting eligibility requirements. The bill requires the Secretary of State to add these applicants to the voter registry unless they return a preaddressed form declining registration. Applicants without citizenship proof may still register if they affirm U.S. citizenship and provide documentation during the application process. The law does not change voting ID requirements at polling places but modifies voter registration procedures through state ID applications.

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Aug 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2026

House Passage

Apr 2026

Senate Passage

Apr 2026

Governor

Introduced Aug 13, 2025 Last action Apr 16, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

As Passed by the House → Substitute (H-1) · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill text was reformatted to remove unnecessary blank lines and adjust indentation, while the core legal content regarding the definition of a 'Federal-only voter' and the list of amended sections remains unchanged. These are purely technical formatting adjustments that do not alter the bill's legal meaning or policy impact.

TECHNICAL

Removed excessive blank lines and standardized indentation throughout the document.

House Introduced Bill → As Passed by the House · 6 edits · Apr 14, 2026

MODERATE

This bill significantly expands automatic voter registration in Michigan by mandating that the Secretary of State automatically register eligible citizens who apply for driver's licenses, state IDs, or change their address. It introduces a new category called 'federal-only voter' for applicants whose citizenship cannot be immediately verified, allowing them to vote in federal elections while their status is confirmed. The bill also expands automatic registration to include individuals released from incarceration and establishes new data reporting requirements for the Secretary of State.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of automatic voter registration from specific documents to include change of address applications and individuals released from incarceration. It also adds a new tier of eligibility for those with unverified citizenship.

DEFINITION

Added a new definition for 'federal-only voter' to describe applicants whose citizenship has not been verified, who are not registered, and who can only vote in federal elections.

REQUIREMENT

Mandated automatic voter registration for all individuals applying for driver's licenses, state IDs, or changing addresses who provide proof of US citizenship.

Required the Secretary of State to automatically register individuals released from incarceration who meet age and citizenship requirements upon their release.

Established new data reporting requirements for the Secretary of State to publicly release monthly statistics on automatic registrations, declinations, and citizenship verification outcomes.

Added requirements for the Secretary of State to verify citizenship using existing databases and to provide an opportunity for applicants to submit satisfactory evidence of citizenship to expedite verification.

ELIGIBILITY

Modified the voter registration process to allow individuals with unverified citizenship to be registered as 'federal-only voters' who can vote in federal elections while their citizenship status is being verified.

Floor votes · House Apr 14, 2026

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Apr 16, 2026

Committee

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

upper

Apr 16, 2026

Upper · Passed

PASSED BY HOUSE WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT

upper

Apr 14, 2026

Introduced

title amended

lower

Apr 14, 2026

Lower · Passed

passed; given immediate effect Roll Call #107 Yeas 58 Nays 46 Excused 0 Not Voting 6

lower

Apr 14, 2026

Lower · Passed

substitute (H-1) adopted

lower

Mar 17, 2026

Committee

referred to second reading

lower

Mar 17, 2026

Lower · Passed

reported with recommendation with substitute (H-1)

lower

Aug 13, 2025

Committee

referred to Committee on Election Integrity

lower

Aug 13, 2025

Introduced

introduced by Representative Rep. Jason Woolford

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors