MICHIGAN, USA — November's election is fast approaching. It's important to know what will be on your ballot so you're prepared to cast your vote confidently this election season.
Not all ballots in West Michigan will look the same, depending on your location. The Michigan Department of State has a free online tool to see exactly what your ballot will look like based on your county, jurisdiction and precinct, which you can find here.
You can also find out what to expect below:
Races that will be on all Michigan ballots
Governor and Lt. Governor race
Candidates include:
- Incumbent candidates Gretchen Whitmer and Garlin D. Gilchrist II (Democrat)
- Tudor M. Dixon and Shane Hernandez (Republican)
- Mary Buzuma and Brian Ellison (Libertarian)
- Donna Brandenburg and Mellissa Carone (U.S. Taxpayers)
- Kevin Hogan and Destiny Clayton (Green)
- Daryl M. Simpson and Doug Dern (Natural Law)
Secretary of State
- Incumbent candidate Jocelyn Benson (Democrat)
- Kristina Elaine Karamo (Republican)
- Gregory Scott Stempfle (Libertarian)
- Christine C. Schwartz (U.S. Taxpayers)
- Larry James Hutchinson Jr. (Natural Law)
Attorney General
- Incumbent candidate Dana Nessel (Democrat)
- Matthew DePerno (Republican)
- Joseph W. McHugh Jr. (Libertarian)
- Gerald T. Van Sickle (U.S. Taxpayers)
Member of State Board of Education
- Pamela Pugh (Democrat)
- Mitchell Robinson (Democrat)
- Tamara D. Carlone (Republican)
- Linda Lee Tarver (Republican)
- Donna Gundle-Krieg (Libertarian)
- Bill Hall (Libertarian)
- Ethan Hobson (U.S. Taxpayers)
- Mary Anne Hering (Working Class)
Regent of University of Michigan
- Mike Behm (Democrat)
- Kathy White (Democrat)
- Lena Epstein (Republican)
- Sevag Vartanian (Republican)
- Eric Larson (Libertarian)
- Joe Sanger (U.S. Taxpayers)
- Sherry A. Wells (Green)
- Kathleen Oakford (Natural Law)
Trustee of Michigan State University
- Dennis Denno (Democrat)
- Renee Knake Jefferson (Democrat)
- Mike Balow (Republican)
- Travis Menge (Republican)
- Claranna Gelineau (Libertarian)
- Max Riekse (Libertarian)
- Robin Lea Laurain (Green)
Governor of Wayne State University
- Danielle Atkinson (Democrat)
- Marilyn Kelly (Democrat)
- Christa Murphy (Republican)
- Craig Wilsher (Republican)
- Bruce Jaquays (Libertarian)
- Marc Joseph Sosnowski (U.S. Taxpayers)
- Susan Odgers (Green)
Justice of Supreme Court
- Richard Bernstein, Justice of Supreme Court
- Kyra Harris Bolden
- Paul Hudson
- Kerry Lee Morgan
- Brian Zahra, Justice of Supreme Court
Prop 1
This proposition would do the following, according to the state's sample ballot:
- Require members of the legislature, governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and attorney general file annual public financial disclosure reports after 2023, including assets, liabilities, income sources, future employment agreements, gifts, travel reimbursements, and positions held in organizations except religious, social, and political organizations.
- Require legislature implement but not limit or restrict reporting requirements.
- Replace current term limits for state representatives and state senators with a 12-year total limit in any combination between house and senate, except a person elected to senate in 2022 may be elected the number of times allowed when that person became a candidate.
Prop 2
This proposition would do the following, according to the state's sample ballot:
- Recognize fundamental right to vote without harassing conduct;
- Require military or overseas ballots be counted if postmarked by election day;
- Provide voter right to verify identity with photo ID or signed statement;
- Provide voter right to single application to vote absentee in all elections;
- Require state-funded absentee-ballot drop boxes, and postage for absentee applications and ballots;
- Provide that only election officials may conduct post-election audits;
- Require nine days of early in-person voting;
- Allow donations to fund elections, which must be disclosed;
- Require canvass boards certify election results based only on the official records of votes cast.
Prop 3
This proposition would do the following, according to the state's sample ballot:
- Establish new individual right to reproductive freedom, including right to make and carry out all decisions about pregnancy, such as prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, sterilization, abortion, miscarriage management, and infertility;
- Allow state to regulate abortion after fetal viability, but not prohibit if medically needed to protect a patient’s life or physical or mental health;
- Forbid state discrimination in enforcement of this right; prohibit prosecution of an individual, or a person helping a pregnant individual, for exercising rights established by this amendment;
- Invalidate state laws conflicting with this amendment.
There will be plentiful other races on your ballot depending on where you live in West Michigan. Here are some that you can look out for:
- Local school board
- Representative in Congress
- State Senator
- Representative in State Legislature
- County Commissioner
- Township/City Trustee
- City Comptroller
- Library Board Member
- Judge of Court of Appeals
- Judge of Circuit Courts
- Judge of Probate Courts
- Local Millages
- Community College Board of Trustees Member
Happy voting, West Michigan!
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