Elections: filing fees; filing fees in lieu of nominating petitions; authorize. Amends (See bill).

This bill allows candidates for the offices of governor and U.S. Senator in Michigan to avoid collecting nominating petitions by paying a nonrefundable filing fee of $15,000 to the Secretary of State. Under the new provisions, candidates who choose this option must adhere to the same withdrawal rules as those who submit petitions, meaning they cannot withdraw their candidacy unless they move out of state or become physically unfit. The legislation also updates deadlines for filing petitions, requiring them to be submitted by the fifteenth Tuesday before the August primary starting in 2014. Any fees collected under this plan are deposited into the state's general fund.