Everything You Need to Know for Michigan 2018 Election

A high-interest general ballot season reaches its climax Tuesday when Michigan voters who haven't already voted by absentee ballot go to the polls on Election Day.

► Michigan ballot results

Here's a look at major races and issues on the ballot, too as other key data for Nov. 6:

When polls open and close

Polls will exist open 7 a.1000.-8 p.one thousand. Voters tin can bank check their registration status, run into their sample election, and find their polling place at www.Michigan.gov/vote. Y'all must already exist registered to vote — the borderline for registration was Oct. eight.

► Enquiry the candidates on your ballot with the Gratuitous Press' 2018 Voter Guide

What to bring

Michigan law has a voter identification requirement at the polls. Voters volition be asked to nowadays a photo ID such as a Michigan driver'south license, state identification menu, U.S. passport, or war machine, student or tribal ID card. The identification card need not include the voter's address.

Those who don't have an acceptable ID bill of fare tin can still vote by signing an affidavit.

Voters are non required to bring their voter registration cards and should be on a list, if registered, as long equally they become to the correct polling place.

No ballot selfies

The utilize of still and video cameras, including cellphone cameras and other recording devices, are prohibited at the polls when they are open for voting.

Governor'southward race

Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, the onetime Senate minority leader, and Republican Neb Schuette, Michigan'southward attorney general, are competing to succeed Republican Gov. Rick Snyder, who tin can't run once again because of term limits.

Whitmer and Schuette hold sharply different views on road funding, health care and education, amongst other bug. Contempo polls have shown Whitmer leading Schuette by every bit much as double digits and as little every bit five points.

Also running for governor: Libertarian Bill Gelineau, U.Due south. Taxpayers Party candidate Todd Schleiger, Greenish Party candidate Jennifer Kurland, and Natural Police force Party candidate Keith Butkovich.

More gubernatorial ballot:

Michigan governor's race: 10 issues on which Schuette and Whitmer differ

Governor's race: History and voter energy favor Whitmer over Schuette

Free Press poll: Schuette and GOP gaining ground on Whitmer, Dems

How 1 lost election changed Michigan governor candidate Bill Schuette

Gretchen Whitmer's perplexing problem in race for Michigan governor

Michigan election 2018: Hither are your tertiary-party options

Attorney General

Attorney General: Republican Tom Leonard, the House Speaker from DeWitt, and Democrat Dana Nessel, a Plymouth chaser, are running to accept over the office now held by Republican Attorney General Bill Schuette, who can't run once again because of term limits.

If elected, Leonard said he wants to aggrandize the Attorney Full general'due south Role to include units that deal with cases of elderberry abuse and mental health, including how to divert more mentally ill criminal suspects away from jail. He as well wants to expand the public integrity unit that investigates government corruption to include a office of overseeing how departments such as Treasury deal with taxpayers.

If she gets the job, Nessel said she volition exist a tireless fighter for the underdogs in society and won't use the office to punish people, such as the tens of thousands of Michigan residents falsely defendant of jobless benefits fraud considering of a figurer snafu. She would likewise beef upwardly environmental enforcement and found a detest crimes division to handle cases involving LGBTQ and other minority communities.

Also running to go Michigan's chief police enforcement officeholder: Libertarian Lisa Lane Gioia, U.S. Taxpayers Party candidate Gerald Van Sickle, and Contained candidate Chris Graveline.

Read more:

Nessel's quest for AG's office began on steps of U.S. Supreme Court

Republican Tom Leonard wants to be Michigan'southward tiptop lawyer

Secretary of Country

Secretary of Land: Democrat Jocelyn Benson of Detroit is running against Republican Mary Treder Lang of Grosse Pointe Farms. Each wants to supplant Republican Secretarial assistant of State Ruth Johnson, who can't seek a third iv-year term considering of term limits.

A signature Benson entrada pledge is her "30-minute guarantee," under which nobody would wait more than than 30 minutes to renew their license or practise anything else at a branch office.

Treder wants a organisation in which residents won't have to visit a branch office more often than every 8 years — when they take to get new photos taken for their driver's licenses.

Also on the ballot: Libertarian Gregory Scott Stempfle and U.S. Taxpayers Party candidate Robert Gale.

More than:Mich. candidates for secretary of state want to shorten your waiting time

U.Southward. Senate

Democratic U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow is facing a stronger than expected challenge from Republican businessman John James as she seeks a fourth term.

Stabenow of Lansing defeated her previous two Republican challengers by double digits. A recent Gratuitous Press poll shows James, a U.S. Army veteran from Farmington Hills, could be mounting a stronger challenge.

The poll, released Oct. 25, suggests Stabenow's lead over James shrunk from 23 points in September to seven points in October. Other polls bear witness Stabenow continuing to lead James by double digits.

Also on the ballot: U.S. Senate are George Huffman III of the U.S. Taxpayers Party, Marcia Squier of the Dark-green Party and John Howard Wilhelm of the Natural Police Political party.

More:Stabenow, James go after each other in first U.S. Senate debate

Three Michigan ballot proposals

Millions of dollars are being spent for and confronting three Michigan ballot proposals.

Recreational marijuana: Proposal i would legalize marijuana for adult recreational utilise.

Marijuana is already legal in Michigan for medicinal use, every bit a result of a 2008 election proposal that passed with 63-per centum support.

The recreational proposal would:

• Allow individuals age 21 and older to purchase, possess and employ marijuana and marijuana-infused edibles and grow up to 12 marijuana plants for personal consumption.
• Impose a x-ounce limit for marijuana kept at residences and crave that amounts over two.v ounces exist secured in locked containers.
• Create a state licensing system for marijuana businesses, including growers, processors, transporters and retailers.
• Allow municipalities to ban or restrict marijuana businesses.
• Let commercial sales of marijuana and marijuana-infused edibles through land-licensed retailers, subject to a new 10-percent taxation earmarked for schools, road and municipalities where marijuana businesses are located.

Independent redistricting commission: Proposal ii would take the drawing of Michigan's political lines out of the easily of the Michigan Legislature and movement the function to an independent, bipartisan committee.

The Voters Not Politicians proposal would create a 13-member citizens' commission, made up of iv Republicans, four Democrats, and five people who identify with neither party.

Access to voting: Proposal 3 would permit absentee ballots for whatever reason, restore the option of directly-ticket voting, and permit a denizen to register to vote upwardly to and on Ballot Day, among other provisions.

The proposal, called Promote the Vote, would bring Michigan in line with at least 17 other states — including Idaho, Colorado and Wisconsin — when information technology comes to same-twenty-four hour period voter registration. That feature is one of the proposal's most contentious because opponents say it could contribute to voter fraud.

More than on ballot proposals:

Marijuana legalization boiled downward to 100 words for November election

What Michigan can learn from Colorado'south marijuana legalization

Michigan'southward proposal to terminate gerrymandering may not end rancor

Michigan'southward Proposal 3: How it would brand registering to vote easier

Poll: Legal weed, anti-gerrymandering, voter access proposals atomic number 82 large

Michigan Supreme Courtroom

Justices of the Michigan Supreme Court run on the nonpartisan portion of the ballot, but they are typically nominated by political parties.

Two Republican-nominated incumbents, Justice Elizabeth Cloudless and Justice Kurtis Wilder, are seeking eight-year terms. They were appointed to the court past Snyder in 2017.

Clement, a former Snyder legal counsel, angered some Republicans when she joined Democratic Supreme Court appointees in ruling that Proposal two — which proponents say volition end gerrymandering — met ramble requirements to go on the November election.

Wilder previously served on the Michigan Court of Appeals and is a former chief approximate of the Washtenaw County Circuit Court.

They are challenged by 2 Democratic nominees,Sam Bagenstos and Megan Cavanagh.

Bagenstos is a civil rights attorney and U-Chiliad police professor who served as primary deputy banana attorney general for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Justice under President Barack Obama.

Cavanagh has more than fifteen years of feel as an appellate chaser. She is a shareholder at Garan Lucow Miller P.C. in Detroit and a member of the Attorney Grievance Commission.

Republican-nominated justices currently hold a v-2 bulk on the court.

Also on the election:Kerry Lee Morgan, nominated by the Libertarian Party, and Doug Dern, nominated by the Natural Police Party.

State Board of Education

Two seats are up for election, with Republican incumbent Richard Zeile of Dearborn seeking re-election to i of them.

Also running as major-political party candidates are Republican Tami Carlone of Novi and Democrats Judy Pritchett of Washington Township and Tiffany Tilley of Southfield.

The board currently has an even separate between Democrats and Republicans, then the election could change the makeup of the lath — and thus impact i of its biggest responsibilities post-election: Hiring a new superintendent to replace the late Brian Whiston, who died in May afterwards a battle with cancer.

Too on the election: Libertarians Scotty Boman and John Tatar, U.S. Taxpayers Party candidates Karen Adams and Douglas Levesque, Green Party candidate Sherry Wells, and Working Grade Party candidates Mary Anne Hering and Logan Smith.

Academy boards

U-Chiliad Lath of Regents:

At U-M, ii Republican incumbents face up ii Democratic challengers.

The incumbents are Andrea Fischer Newman, who retired recently from her position as Delta Air Lines' top lobbyist, and Andrew Richner, an attorney and former land legislator.

The challengers areJordan Acker, an attorney and onetime Obama White Business firm staffer, and Paul Brown, an adjunct professor in U-Chiliad'due south School of Applied science.

Also running are Libertarians James Lewis Hudler and John Jascob, U.Southward. Taxpayers candidates Joe Sanger and Crystal Van Sickle, Green Party candidate Kevin Graves, and Natural Law Party candidate Marge Katchmark Sallows.

MSU Board of Trustees

There is a high involvement in two open seats in the wake of the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal. Ii Republican incumbents — Brian Breslin and Mitch Lyons — are stepping down.

In that location are four major political party candidates running for those seats:

• Republican Dave Dutch is a former Navy special operations officer who has an MBA from MSU and is currently the executive chairman of PayLease, a national financial technology company.
• Republican Mike Miller is an MSU alumnus who founded several companies, including Orchid Orthopedic Solutions, a high-tech medical device company in Holt.
• Democrat Brianna Scott is an MSU alumnus who was a Muskegon Canton assistant prosecutor and now runs her own constabulary firm.
• Democrat Kelly Tebay is an MSU alumnus who works for the United Way for Southeastern Michigan.

Also running are Libertarians Bruce Campbell and Tim Orzechowski, U.South. Taxpayers candidates Janet Sanger and John Paul Sanger, Green Political party candidate Aaron Mariasy, and Natural Police candidate Bridgette Abraham-Guzman.

More: This might be the virtually watched university board race

Wayne Country University Board of Governors

Two Republican incumbents confront ii Democratic challengers.

The incumbents areDiane Dunaskiss, quondam principal of Pine Tree Uncomplicated School in Lake Orion, andDavid Nicholson, principal executive officer of PVS Chemic's Manufacturing Group.

The challengers are Bryan Barnhill, a fellow member of the Ford Motor Co.'s Corktown Redevelopment Team and former chief talent officer for Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, andAnil Kumar, a urologist in Rochester Hills.

As well running: Libertarians Jon Elgas and John Hargenrader, and U.S. Taxpayers candidates Christine Schwartz and Marc Joseph Sosnowski.

U.S. House of Representatives

Some of the fiercest back-and-along this election flavour has been in a scattering of races for Michigan's fourteen congressional seats:

Toss-up

eighth District: No race in Michigan has been as hotly contested every bit the one in this district, which extends from Lansing due east to northern Oakland County, where incumbent U.South. Rep. Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, is trying to hold on against erstwhile Defense Department official Elissa Slotkin. Polls accept had Bishop's lead within the margin of fault and handicappers consider it also close to telephone call.

Likewise running: Libertarian: Brian Ellison, US Taxpayers: David Lillis.

More than:

Bishop v. Slotkin: Why this may be a corking congressional race to watch

Fact bank check: Rep. Mike Bishop's TV advertizing makes claim almost Elissa Slotkin

Democrat gets personal, takes on Rep. Mike Bishop on wellness care

Best chance for Democrats to flip a seat

11th District: If Democrats are going to flip a Republican-held seat in Michigan'due south congressional delegation, the all-time shot is in the 11th Commune in southeastern Oakland and western Wayne counties, where U.S. Rep. Dave Trott, R-Birmingham, is stepping down. Handicappers requite the edge to Haley Stevens, who worked on former President Obama's auto task forcefulness, over Republican baron Lena Epstein, who cochaired Trump's 2016 campaign in the state.

As well running: Libertarian: Leonard Schwartz, independent: Cooper Nye.

More:

Dems look ready to flip U.S. Rep. Dave Trott's suburban Detroit district

Epstein vs. Stevens? Information technology'southward more like Trump vs. Obama

New faces

13th Commune: Since at that place are no Republican challengers in this Detroit-Wayne Canton district — and information technology'south predominantly Democratic anyway — it'due south a virtually certainty that Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones will win the partial term to replace former U.Southward. Rep. John Conyers, D-Detroit, and former state Rep. Rashida Tlaib will win the full term. In that location remain questions, though. Jones has filed to run a long-shot independent write-in bid for the full term, and information technology however has to be worked out how and whether Jones will be allowed to keep both her city job and serve a brusque stint in Congress. Tlaib will be the first Palestinian woman to serve in the U.Southward. House.

Too running: For partial term: U.S. Taxpayers'Marker Sosnowski, Green Party'southD. Etta Wilcoxon; for total term: Greenish Party's D. Etta Wilcoxon, Working Class Party'southwardSam Johnson.

9th District:Andy Levin, a old labor organizer who held jobs nether onetime Gov. Jennifer Granholm, is expected to have an easy time beating Republican baron Candius Stearns in a predominantly Autonomous district in Oakland and Macomb counties. Levin is the son of current U.S. Rep. Sander Levin, D-Royal Oak, who has been in Congress since 1983.

Also running: Green: John McDermott, Working Class: Andrea Kirby.

More than:

How Detroit's Rashida Tlaib will make history in Washington

Andy Levin looks to have dad Sander Levin's seat in Congress

Long shots

sixth, 7th Districts: Democrats take no better than a long-shot hazard to upend two incumbent Republicans,U.S. Reps. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, and Tim Walberg, R-Tipton. Democrats have long eyed these congressmen — Upton in the sixth in southwestern Michigan and Walberg in the 7th in south-primal Michigan — merely Trump did well in each in 2016. Still, if Democrats evangelize a big electoral moving ridge on Nov. 6 nationally, at that place is a possibility newcomer Matt Longjohn in the sixth and old country Rep. Gretchen Driskell in the seventh, could exist the beneficiaries.

Also running in the 6th: U.S. Taxpayers: Stephen Young.

A bridge as well far

1st Commune:Some handicappers would put Michigan's 1st Commune — which includes the Upper Peninsula and the northern Lower Peninsula — in the long-shot category and Democrat Matt Morgan has certainly worked, despite having to run in the principal as a write-in, to make information technology a race against incumbent U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet. But this is a commune that supported Trump by 21 pct points in 2016 and has been trending more conservative.

2nd District: Meanwhile, in what has long been considered the nigh bourgeois commune in the state, the 2nd in due west Michigan, there take been some suggestions that U.Southward. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, could exist in trouble confronting Democratic newcomer Rob Davidson. It's very hard to run into this district switching, however, unless there are much stronger forces than expected nationally.

Also running, second Commune: U.S. Taxpayers: Ronald Graeser.

Seemingly prophylactic

Anything can happen on Election Twenty-four hours, but the remaining races for congressional seats in Michigan are expected to run truthful to form and render incumbents to the U.S. House. Those races include:

3rd District: In west Michigan, where U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, R-Cascade Township, is facing Democrat Cathy Albro and U.S. Taxpayers candidate Ted Gerrard.

4th District: In northward-fundamental Michigan, whereU.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Midland, is facing Democrat Jerry Hilliard.

5th District: Around Flint, Bay City and Saginaw, whereU.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint Township, is facing Republican Travis Wines and Working Class candidate Kathy Goodwin.

10th District: In northern Macomb Canton and the Thumb, whereU.Due south. Rep. Paul Mitchell, R-Dryden, is facing Democrat Kimberly Bizon, Green Party candidate Harley Mikkelson and independent Jeremy Peruski.

twelfth District: In Wayne and Washtenaw counties and reaching Downriver,U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, is facing Republican Jeff Jones, Working Course candidate Gary Walkowicz and independent Niles Niemuth.

14th Commune: In Detroit and Wayne Canton, whereU.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence, D-Southfield, is facing Republican Marc Herschfus and Working Form candidate Philip Kolody.

Michigan Legislature

All 38 land Senate and 110 House of Representative seats are up for grabs in this year's election and Democrats hope to gain control of at least one bedroom.

Democrats would take to hold on to the seats they agree now and make significant gains in each sleeping accommodation to secure majorities.

In the Firm, Republicans hold a 63-46 majority, with one vacancy in a seat Democrats held. Democrats would have to regain the vacant seat and pick upwards nine boosted seats to win a bulk.

In the Senate, Republicans concur a 27-10 bulk with one vacancy, again in a Democratic seat. Democrats demand to regain the vacant seat and pick up ix additional seats to win a majority.

Some of their biggest hopes go through the suburbs of Oakland and western Wayne counties, where Democratic challengers racked up bigger numbers than Republicans in the Aug. seven primary election.

Competitive Senate seats include the twelfth, 13th and 15th Districts in Oakland County, the 10th District in Macomb Canton and the seventh District in western Wayne County. Here'southward a wait:

• twelfth Commune: State Rep. Mike McCready, R-Bloomfield Hills, is looking to replace Sen. Jim Marleau, who can't run over again because of term limits. Simply IT consultant Rosemary Bayer, a Beverly Hills Democrat., got more votes than the four Republicans running in the primary election combined. Too running is Libertarian Jeff Pittel.
• 13th District: Sen. Marty Knollenberg, R-Troy, is facing a fierce challenge from Mallory McMorrow, a Royal Oak blueprint consultant.
• 15th District: Both state Rep. Jim Runestad, R-White Lake, and Julia Pulver, a Democrat and West Bloomfield nurse, are vying to fill the seat existence vacated past Sen. Mike Kowall, R-White Lake, who is term-limited.
• 10th District: State Rep. Henry Yanez, D-Sterling Heights, is hoping to shell Macomb Township Republican Mike MacDonald, a financial representative for an insurance visitor. Libertarian MIke Saliba is too running.
• 7th Commune: State Rep. Laura Cox, R-Livonia, is facing a potent challenge from Dayna Polehanki, a Livonia instructor. Libertarian Joseph LeBlanc is likewise in the race.

Competitive Business firm races include the 40th and 41st Districts in Oakland County and the 19th and 20th Districts in Wayne County. Hither'south a expect:

• 40th District: DemocratMari Manoogian, a onetime U.S. State Department employee of Birmingham is battling for an open seat against Republicans David Wolkinson of Birmingham, a former vice chairman of the Michigan Republican Political party,
• 41st District: DemocratPadma Kuppa, a mechanical engineer for Chrysler from Troy, and Oakland County Commissioner Doug Tietz, a Troy resident and district managing director for U.Southward. Rep. David Trott, R-Birmingham, are vying for a seat vacated by state Rep. Martin Howrylak, R-Troy, who can't run over again because of term limits.
• 20th District: Democrat Matt Koleszar, a Plymouth instructor, is trying to unseat land Rep. Jeff Noble, R-Plymouth
• 19th Commune: Laurie Pohutsky, a Democrat and Livonia lab technician, is battling Republican Brian Meakin, a Livonia City Councilman to fill the seat vacated by state Rep. Laura Cox, R-Livonia, who tin't run for re-election because of term limits..

County/local

There are many races for county and local officials. The canton executive post is on the ballot in Wayne and Macomb counties, but not in Oakland, where that ballot occurs in 2020.

More:Race to replace ousted Macomb clerk Karen Spranger gets quirky

No straight ticket

 In that location is no straight-ticket voting in the Nov. 6 ballot for the get-go fourth dimension in many years, as a result of a law passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature, banning the do.

Voters must mark each of their choices individually.

Absentee ballots

Eligible Michigan residents tin vote by absentee election if any of these apply: they are at least 60 years old; unable to vote without assistance at the polls; expecting to be out of town on Election Day; in jail awaiting arraignment or trial; unable to attend the polls for religious reasons; or appointed to work as an ballot inspector in some other precinct.

Requests for an absent voter ballot must exist made in writing to city or township clerks and requests to accept absentee ballots mailed must exist received by clerks no later than 2 p.chiliad. Saturday.

Completed absentee ballots must be received past the clerk no later than 8 p.grand. on Election Day. A returned absentee ballot postmarked November. five only non received until November. 7 will not be counted.

More than i million Michigan voters have asked for absentee ballots.

Voter turnout

Based partly on the number of absentee ballots sent out and the historically potent turnout in the August primary, many election officials are expecting a record turnout for a Michigan midterm ballot.

Chris Thomas, a national voting skilful and the quondam longtime manager of elections for the Secretary of Country, said he expects statewide turnout to be in the neighborhood of 4 1000000 voters.

That would top 2006, when iii.8 million Michigan residents voted.

More:A tape four million Michigan voters projected for November. 6 election

Contact Paul Egan at 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @paulegan4. Staff writers Lori Higgins, David Jesse and Katrease Stafford contributed.

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Source: https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/10/31/election-day-2018-michigan/1730554002/

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