Absentee ballots have been sent out, drop boxes have been stationed and early in-person voting sites have opened their doors.
While voters in the Great Lakes Bay Region determine control of the Michigan Senate in the May 5 special election, voters throughout the Lansing and Jackson areas will vote on various proposals to fund schools and public safety departments.
These are some of the questions voters will see on their ballots next month:
INGHAM COUNTY
Voters in Ingham, Clinton, Eaton, Livingston, Shiawassee and Jackson Counties will be asked whether to allow the Ingham Intermediate School District to borrow nearly $100 million to build a new special education school building and to remodel or expand existing facilities. Improvements would also be made to playgrounds, parking areas and driveways.
Also in Ingham County, the Stockbridge Area Emergency Services Authority is seeking a millage increase of 2.5 mills for five years to provide, equip, operate and maintain fire protection and emergency medical services. If approved, it would raise more than $1.6 million in the first year.
Note: The Morrice Area Schools millage, described in the Shiawassee County section, will also appear on the ballot in Ingham County.
EATON COUNTY
In Eaton County, the Grand Ledge Area Emergency Services Authority is seeking a $22.5 million bond to acquire, construct, furnish and equip two new fire stations with modern facilities and improved safety features.
Note: The Ingham Intermediate School District bond proposal, described in the Ingham County section, will also appear on the ballot in Eaton County.
CLINTON COUNTY
Carson City-Crystal Area Schools is asking voters in Clinton, Gratiot, Ionia and Montcalm Counties to renew and slightly increase its millage from 17.6828 mills to an even 18 mills. The current millage expires this year.
Note: The Ingham Intermediate School District bond proposal, described in the Ingham County section, will also appear on the ballot in Clinton County.
LIVINGSTON COUNTY
In Livingston County, Brighton Area Schools is seeking a $156.2 million bond to expand and improve school buildings and playgrounds, athletic facilities and parking areas.
Note: The Ingham Intermediate School District bond proposal, described in the Ingham County section, will also appear on the ballot in Livingston County.
The Morrice Area Schools millage, described in the Shiawassee County section, will also appear on the ballot in Livingston County.
SHIAWASSEE COUNTY
Morrice Area Schools is asking voters in Ingham, Livingston and Shiawassee Counties to approve a millage of $18 per $1,000 of taxable property value for operations. The district would collect an estimated $497,638 in 2027 if approved.
Corunna Public Schools is asking voters in Shiawassee County to approve two bonds. The first would allow the district to borrow more than $16.5 million to remodel school buildings, including making HVAC and structural improvements.
The second bond proposal would allow Corunna Public Schools to borrow about $18.1 million to construct a new event center to serve as an auxiliary gym and performing arts space at Corunna High School.
Note: The Ingham Intermediate School District bond proposal, described in the Ingham County section, will also appear on the ballot in Shiawassee County.
JACKSON COUNTY
Columbia Charter Township in Jackson County is taking a similar approach to millage requests for its police and fire departments.
The township is seeking to renew existing millages of 0.4286 mills for fire protection and 0.8577 mills for police protection, and it is seeking additional millages of 0.4212 mills for the fire department and 0.2423 mills for the police department.
If all four proposals in Columbia Charter Township are approved, it would bring total funding for the fire department to $0.8498 per $1,000 of taxable property value and police funding to $1.10 per $1,000 of taxable property value.
The Stockbridge Area Emergency Services Authority is asking voters in Jackson County to approve an increase in its millage for fire protection and emergency medical services. The increase would be 2.5 mills and would raise more than $1.6 million in the first year if approved.
Also in Jackson County, Vandercook Lake Public Schools is requesting to borrow more than $9.2 million to remodel school buildings, including roof replacements and plumbing and HVAC improvements, and to improve the stadium and fieldhouse site.
The Columbia School District will ask voters in Jackson, Lenawee, Washtenaw and Hillsdale Counties to approve a $14.8 million bond to expand and remodel school buildings and improve playgrounds, athletic facilities and parking areas.
Also in Jackson and Washtenaw Counties, Grass Lake Community Schools seeks to borrow $41.9 million to build an addition to the middle school, build an indoor athletic facility and develop a playground. They would also partially remodel the elementary, middle and high schools.
The Hanover-Horton School District in Jackson and Hillsdale Counties is asking voters to approve a bond for more than $3.9 million to remodel school buildings.
Also in Jackson and Hillsdale Counties, North Adams-Jerome Public Schools is asking voters to renew a millage at a rate of 18.2245 mills.
Note: The Ingham Intermediate School District bond proposal, described in the Ingham County section, will also appear on the ballot in Jackson County.
WHEN AND HOW TO VOTE
Michigan residents have until April 20 to register to vote via mail or online. Between April 21 and May 5, registration must happen in-person at a local clerk’s office.
For registered voters, early in-person voting sites will be open through May 4.
For absentee voters, the State of Michigan recommends mailing your ballot before April 21 to ensure it makes it to the polling station before 8 pm on election night. Absentee ballots can also be submitted by drop box.
Polling stations will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 5. Your local polling station can be found here.
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT
Sophia Saliby: Election Day is less than a month away for Mid-Michigan voters.
While there are no candidates on the ballot in our region, many school districts and municipalities are asking voters to approve millages and bond proposals.
WKAR’s Andrew Roth broke it all down in a voter guide that's on wkar.org, and he joins us now. Thank you for being here.
Andrew Roth: Thank you for having me.
Saliby: So what's on the ballot?
Roth: Like you mentioned, there's lots of millages and bond proposals to fund schools and public safety departments like police and firefighters. One of the biggest is probably the Ingham Intermediate School District asking voters in six counties to let them borrow nearly $100 million to build a new special education building, and they would also remodel some of their existing facilities.
Another interesting one is in Eaton County, the Grand Ledge Area Emergency Services Authority is seeking funds to stand up two new fire stations with modern facilities and some improved safety features.
Saliby: You also noticed something interesting when it comes to how some municipalities are tackling millages now?
Roth: Yeah, that's right. So, Corunna Public Schools has two bond proposals on the ballot. The first would allow the district to borrow funds to upgrade school buildings with new HVAC systems and structural improvements, but a second bond proposal would allow the district to build a new event center that would serve as an auxiliary gym and performing arts space. So, this really gives voters a chance to vote for one and not the other without tying them together.
And Columbia Charter Township in Jackson County is actually taking a similar approach for their police and fire departments with requests to renew an existing millage and separate requests to increase the funding for both departments.
Saliby: Do you think that's tied to other communities seeing millage proposals fail, taxes that have been part of a community for five or six years, and then when the communities go to voters to ask them to renew it or even increase it, voters say no.
Roth: Yeah, you know, it could be. I think that this is a way that officials can kind of ask, even if you don't want to increase your taxes, we'll give you that option to still continue funding us at some level.
Saliby: Now, what are some of the deadlines for voters to get registered as well as cast their ballot?
Roth: Yeah, so in Michigan, you can register to vote right through Election Day, but the deadline to register to vote online or by mail is going to be April 20. So, after that point, you can still register, you would just have to visit your local clerk's office in person to do it.
And if you're voting by mail, the state recommends dropping your ballot off before April 21 just to ensure that it makes it to the polling station in time to be counted. But if you do miss that deadline, you can still drop it off at a ballot drop box or you can go to an in person early voting site to cast your ballot.
Saliby: I think the biggest election across the state that people are watching for on May 5 is the special race for the 35th House District, and that represents Bay City, Midland and Saginaw. Why is it important?
Roth: Right now, Democrats very narrowly control the Michigan Senate with a 19-18 seat majority. Democrats used to have a 20-18 seat majority before Kristen McDonald Rivet was elected to Congress in 2024. So, if the Republican candidate wins this seat, it would mean the Michigan Senate now has an even tie, and having split control of the chamber could really hamper how much legislation gets passed, especially during an election year with a lame duck governor.
Although Michigan does already have split government with Republicans controlling the state House. This is a district that was previously represented by a Democrat, but also voted for President Donald Trump, so it will be interesting to see what happens.
Saliby: This is a big election year beyond May, with August primaries and then the midterm elections in November. What is kind of the vibe of the campaign trail right now?
Roth: I think Democrats are feeling cautiously optimistic. They've seen good results coming out of other states, like the Florida state House District that Trump voted by mail in electing a Democrat, but Governor Gretchen Whitmer says you can't read too much into those results, and it ultimately comes down to the fundamentals, like affordability.
Saliby: Reporter Andrew Roth has a voter guide for the May 5 election up at wkar.org right now. Thank you for joining me.
Roth: Always happy to be here.
