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As the 2012 election season gets under way, the MHA is
working to provide its membership, health care advocates
and legislators with information and resources to assist
in communicating and understanding the complex issues
facing the hospital and health care community. Below is a
preliminary outline of key
dates, races and more. More information and tools will be provided
as candidates and issues are cemented.
Those who wish to review 2010 election results may do so
via the
Secretary of State's office. If you have any
questions, please contact
Dave Finkbeiner at (517) 703-8601. Thank you to
all who helped elect health care champions for Michigan
in 2010.
Dates to Remember in 2012:
Last day to register for
Feb. 28 primary: Jan. 30
Presidential Primary
Election: Feb. 28
For more information on the
Feb. 28 primary, visit the Secretary of State's
dedicated presidential primary
website.
Last day to register for
Aug. 7 primary: July 12
State Primary Election: Aug.
7
Last day to register for Nov. 6 general election: Oct. 9
General Election: Nov. 6
2012 Michigan Elections:
President
• Incumbent Barack Obama (D) vs Republican challenger
(Republican Primary Feb. 28, 2012)
U.S. Senate for Six-year Term
• Incumbent Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing) vs Republican
challenger (to be determined)
U.S. House of Representatives
• All 14 Michigan seats will be elected
Michigan House of
Representatives
• All 110 seats will be elected
Michigan Supreme Court
• Three contested seats (Justice Marilyn Kelly's seat
open, re-election contests for Justices Stephen Markman
and Brian Zahara)
Ballot Proposals
• The MHA will keep members
apprised of statewide ballot proposals as they develop.
Members may also visit
michigan.gov/vote to track ballot proposals.
Other
2012 Election Information:
Michigan Redistricting
Information: The
Secretary of State website offers extensive
information and maps guiding interested parties through
the results of the 2011 legislative redistricting
process.
MHA Social Media Pages:
The MHA
Twitter
and
Facebook pages featured regular updates on election
activity.
Hospitals-ACT Website: The MHA's online
advocacy and candidate contact site allows health
care advocates to search for all legislative
representatives in their district, obtain detailed
contact information for those individuals, and allows
for fast, easy messaging to office-holders.
Other Tools
Michigan Department of State - Elections in Michigan
page
Michigan Truth Squad
Important Legal
Information for Michigan Hospitals:
IRS regulations prohibit tax-exempt 501(c)(3)
charitable organizations from endorsing candidates for
public office or engaging in political campaign
activities or expenditures. The U.S. Supreme Court’s
recent decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election
Commission that recognized a Constitutional right to
independently advocate for or against a political
candidate does not supersede IRS Regulations that
continue to prohibit political activity by tax-exempt
501 (c)(3) organizations. The prohibition against
political activity applies to organizations, not
individuals. Accordingly, employees, officers and
officials of tax-exempt organizations may engage in
political activity if they are acting in their
individual capacities and do not in any way utilize the
organization’s financial resources, other resources
(such as e-mail or newsletters), facilities, or
personnel, and clearly and unambiguously indicate that
the actions taken or the statements made are those of
the individual and not of the organization. These
statements are offered for informational purposes only
and should not be relied on as legal advice.
Members with questions
should contact
David Finkbeiner, senior vice president, Advocacy,
at the MHA at (517) 703-8601.
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