Michigan Voting

A state Senate committee voted to create a Michigan Voting Rights Act, largely in response to the U.S. Supreme Court stricking down key portions of the federal Voting Rights Act.

Design submissions are currently available for Michigan's "I voted" stickers, and winners will see their designs at polling stations for the 2026 midterm elections.

The Department of Justice has sued 25 jurisdictions for not handing over voter data; three of the suits have now been dismissed.

Ten candidates are running in the upcoming February primary to fill the open state Senate seat to represent parts of Midland, Bay and Saginaw counties, with one Libertarian candidate already set for the general election in May.

This guide will help you navigate the election, from the Feb. 3, 2026 primary to the general election on May 5, for a new state Senator in the Saginaw Bay region.

Midland County Clerk Ann Manary said the group behind the idea, Rank MI Vote, doesn't expect voter education to happen until after the measure passes.

Michigan law requires early in-person polling locations to be available for statewide and federal elections, but not for local races. In the tri-county area, Saginaw is the only one who's going to offer this voting option for the 35th district state Senate special election in early 2026.

Across the state, pay for election inspectors — the workers who check in voters and keep precincts running — can range from less than $175 a day to more than $300.

Over 10,000 ballots were cast Saturday and Sunday at early voting sites across the state, according to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. This will be the second election statewide that includes new early voting laws. The rules stem from a state constitutional amendment passed in 2022.

The Michigan House Elections Committee will hold its first hearing Tuesday on bills intended to boost voter turnout.