Residents across Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park, along with those in Wayne and Oakland counties, are preparing to cast their votes in a diverse set of races and proposals. The upcoming election includes local judicial positions, a County Commissioner seat, the Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) Board, a millage to support local museums, and two statewide ballot questions.
Local judicial races on the ballot include a partial term for County Commissioner – District 5, which concludes on January 1, 2028. For the 3rd Circuit Court, voters will decide on 16 incumbent candidates running for 16 six-year terms, as well as one non-incumbent for a six-year term, and one incumbent for a partial term ending January 1, 2031. Additionally, there are three non-incumbent positions for Probate Court, each with a six-year term.
For the Detroit Public Schools Community District Board, 31 candidates are vying for four four-year term seats. Another three candidates—Ijazz Jackson, Aliya Moore, and Shawn Vaughn—are seeking one partial term seat that will end in 2028. Only two of the candidates, Steve Bland Jr. and Bessie Harris, are incumbents; both were appointed to the board last year. Many candidates have openly criticized the district’s current leadership, with some advocating for Superintendent Nikolai Vitti’s removal. Further, two individuals currently serving on the Board of Police Commissioners, Ivey and Morris, have their names on the ballot for other offices but are not actively campaigning, having stated they will not relinquish their current positions.
Voters in Wayne and Oakland counties will also consider a joint operating millage to support two long-standing cultural institutions: the Detroit Historical Society and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. Launched under the “Yes to Our Story” campaign, the proposal seeks a 10-year, 0.2 mill levy. For an owner of a home valued at $300,000, this tax would amount to $30 annually, according to statements from Historical Society President and CEO Elana Rugh and Wright Museum President and CEO Neil Barclay.
If approved, residents of both counties would gain free admission to the Wright Museum and the Historical Society, which oversees the Detroit Historical Museum in Midtown and the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle. Currently, free admission is only extended to small children and museum members. The millage is also proposed to cover free transportation for students and seniors, fund new curriculum and teacher training, and ensure the permanent protection of the publicly-owned collections for both museums. Specifics regarding transportation providers are still under discussion, Rugh and Barclay noted.
On the statewide ballot, voters will weigh in on a proposed initiated law concerning campaign finance. This proposal aims to prohibit certain organizations and individuals—including regulated electric and gas utilities, contractors with over $250,000 annually in government contracts, and entities substantially connected to these utilities or contractors—from making direct or indirect contributions to those running for office. It would also introduce further regulations for campaign finance laws and spending on political communications. A “yes” vote would enact this proposal into state law without requiring a governor’s signature, making it more challenging to overturn than typical legislation, as it would need three-quarters of each legislative chamber to amend or repeal it. A “no” vote would oppose its implementation.
Campaign finance filings indicate that the committee supporting this proposal has raised over $7.3 million, with significant contributions from progressive groups such as the Massachusetts-based All Hands on Deck Network and the Washington, D.C.-based Sixteen Thirty Fund. Opposing this measure is a group called Protect MI Free Speech, which has raised more than $570,000, largely from business groups including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Comcast Financial Agency Corp., CMS Energy (known for its subsidiary, Consumers Energy), and Michigan Energy First, a group with ties to DTE Energy.
Michiganders will also vote on whether to convene a constitutional convention, commonly known as a “con-con,” to revise the state’s fundamental governing document. This question appears on the ballot every 16 years. A “yes” vote would initiate the process of rewriting the state’s constitution by delegates elected by voters across the state. Even if approved, the revised document would still require a separate vote by the public for final approval before replacing the current constitution. A “no” vote would maintain the state’s constitution as it is currently written.
While no official campaigns have registered to support a constitutional convention, some Republican legislators have expressed their backing. An effort to encourage a “no” vote is underway by the group Protect MI Constitution From Special Interests, comprising various business and voting rights organizations, which has raised over $860,000. Additionally, several candidates from both major parties running for office this fall have stated their opposition to a convention.
For residents preparing to vote, verifying registration status is the first step, which can be done online. To be eligible to vote, individuals must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old by Election Day, a Michigan resident, and a resident of their city or township for at least 30 days. Individuals who are incarcerated, serving a felony sentence, or declared mentally incompetent are not eligible to vote.
The method for voter registration depends on its proximity to Election Day. If it is more than 14 days before the election, registration can be completed online, by mail, at a county, city, or township clerk’s office, or at a state driver’s license office. Within 14 days of the election, registration must be done in person at a Detroit Early Vote Center or the Detroit City Clerk’s office.
For those who prefer to vote before Election Day, in-person early voting is available at the Detroit City Clerk’s office or designated Early Voting Sites, beginning nine days before the election. Absentee ballots can be requested online, and voters can opt to join the “permanent mail ballot list” to automatically receive an absentee ballot for all future elections.
Information on elections is provided to help residents feel informed and empowered to vote. Suggestions for election coverage are welcome and can be shared via email or phone.