West Michigan Ballot Guide

How it started. In June 2022 the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade (the Dobbs decision) and returned abortion law to the states. Michigan still had a 1931 law banning abortion except to save the mother's life, but a state judge had blocked it. Abortion-rights groups gathered about 750,000 signatures to put an amendment straight on the ballot.

Why it matters for your vote: it's in the constitution, so no governor or legislature can undo it. Only a new amendment can. The races that shape it now are the Michigan Supreme Court, which decides how far it reaches, Proposal 1, the only item that could reopen it, and the Attorney General, who decides whether to defend the remaining restrictions.

Read more: Proposal 3 overview · Waiting-period ruling · Michigan Catholic Conference view

Trump narrowly won Michigan in 2024, and Democrat Elissa Slotkin narrowly won its Senate seat the same year. This year's Senate race is one of a handful that could decide which party controls the U.S. Senate, and with it federal judges, the border, and taxes. That's why roughly $157 million in outside money has poured into it.

Why it matters for your vote: a Michigan Senate vote counts toward national control, not just state matters. See the Senate race.

It's relatively easy in Michigan to put a question straight on the ballot. Big issues often get decided by voters instead of the Legislature:

• 2018: an independent citizens' commission took over drawing district lines from the Legislature. That's why districts like the 3rd (Grand Rapids/Wyoming) are now competitive. Voters also approved no-excuse absentee voting and Election Day registration.
• 2022: Proposal 3 (abortion) and Proposal 2 (nine days of early voting, prepaid absentee return postage, and drop boxes). A third 2022 proposal changed term limits and added financial disclosure for lawmakers.

Why it matters for your vote: it explains why this year's Proposal 1 and Proposal 2 deserve real attention. A ballot question can change more than any single candidate.

Read more: 2018 redistricting proposal · 2022 voting proposal explained

After the 2022 election, Democrats held the governor's office, the House, and the Senate. In 2023 alone they passed:

Why it matters for your vote: Republicans won back the state House in 2024 (now 58–52), so government is divided today. This election decides whether those laws stay, expand, or get rolled back. The governor and the state House and Senate races matter here. See what each office can do.

Read more: Bridge: Democrats' 2023 laws

In 2023 the Legislature added sexual orientation and gender identity to Michigan's main anti-discrimination law. Republicans offered an amendment protecting religious beliefs and expression; it failed 17–21, and the sponsor said he had "no interest" in adding it. Since then:

• Christian Healthcare Centers and Sacred Heart Parish (Grand Rapids) sued, saying the law could force them to violate their beliefs. In 2024 a federal appeals court let their cases go forward, and the state agreed not to enforce those provisions against Christian Healthcare Centers while the case continues.
• Kuilema v. Calvin University is now before the Michigan Supreme Court. It asks how far the law reaches into a Christian college's decisions about a professor who officiated a same-sex wedding.
• Earlier, Catholic foster and adoption agencies (St. Vincent, Catholic Charities West Michigan) settled with the state in 2022 and kept their right to follow their beliefs in placements.

Why it matters for your vote: churches, Christian schools, camps, and ministries are directly affected. The Supreme Court interprets the law, and the Attorney General enforces it and decides how to fight these lawsuits.

Read more: 2023 Senate vote · Christian Healthcare Centers case · Calvin University case

Michigan was at the center of disputes over the 2020 count. Jocelyn Benson ran those elections as Secretary of State and is now running for governor. Today's arguments are about voter ID, cleaning up voter rolls, outside groups running registration drives, and whether to give the federal Justice Department Michigan's voter data. Both sides say they're protecting election integrity, but they mean different things by it.

Why it matters for your vote: see the Secretary of State race. The next one runs the 2028 presidential election in Michigan.

Governor Whitmer, Attorney General Nessel, and Secretary of State Benson are term-limited, and Sen. Gary Peters is retiring. Every seat in the Legislature and two Supreme Court seats are also on the ballot. No incumbent has a head start at the top of the ticket, so nearly everything is in play at once.

Ottawa Impact formed in 2021 out of frustration with COVID-19 restrictions and won control of the Ottawa County board in 2022. Its time in control brought five lawsuits in about 14 months, including a long dispute with the county health officer over a $4 million settlement. In the August 2024 primaries most Ottawa Impact candidates lost to traditional Republicans, and the group lost its majority. A May 2024 recall also removed one of its commissioners.

Why it matters for your vote: some 2026 candidates come out of that history. Chris Kleinjans, running in the 31st Senate race, won that recall, and Ottawa Impact co-founder Joe Moss is running for state House in a nearby district. No county commission seats are on the ballot this year.

Read more: Michigan Advance: Ottawa Impact loses majority

Mill / millage

A property tax: $1 for every $1,000 of your home's taxable value, which is usually half its market value or less. Your tax bill shows your taxable value.

Renewal vs. increase

A renewal keeps an existing tax at the same rate; a NO vote lowers your bill. An increase adds new tax on top.

Headlee rollback

A 1978 amendment that automatically trims millage rates when property values rise faster than inflation. "Restoring" a rollback means voting the rate back up to what was originally approved.

Non-homestead millage

A school tax on businesses, rentals, and second homes, not your primary home. The state requires it for a district to get full per-student funding.

Sinking fund

A school tax for building repairs, security, and technology. It can't pay salaries.

Straight-ticket voting

One mark that votes for every candidate of one party in the partisan section. It does not cover the nonpartisan section or proposals.

Nonpartisan section

The part of the ballot for judges, school boards, and city races, where no party labels appear. It's often on the back.

Viability

The point when a baby could survive outside the womb, roughly 22–24 weeks. It matters because of Proposal 3.

Scorecards (Heritage Action, NRA, Reproductive Freedom for All, AFL-CIO)

Advocacy groups grade lawmakers by how often they vote the group's way. Read them as "how aligned with that group," not as neutral ratings.

iVoterGuide

A Christian-conservative voter guide that rates candidates from "Far Left" to "Conservative."

The governor signs or vetoes every state law, writes the budget, and appoints judges to fill vacancies. Independent Mike Duggan dropped out in May. Polls: Marist (Oct 15–18) had Benson ahead by 6 among likely voters.

Also on the ballot: Anthony Hudson (Libertarian), Donna Brandenburg (U.S. Taxpayers), Douglas Campbell (Green).

One of the races that could decide which party controls the U.S. Senate (why Michigan matters). Senators vote on federal judges and Supreme Court justices, federal abortion law, the border, and taxes. Marist (Oct 15–18) had the two candidates 2 points apart.

Also on the ballot: Lydia Christensen (Libertarian), Tim Long (U.S. Taxpayers), Douglas Marsh (Green).

The state's top lawyer decides which laws to defend in court and whether to sue the federal government. That includes cases about Prop 3, religious-liberty claims, and immigration enforcement.

Background: why this race is heated.

One September poll (Mitchell) had Gilchrist 41%, Forlini 36%, 18% undecided.

Easy to miss: it's in the nonpartisan section, so voting straight-ticket doesn't count here. This court decides how far Proposal 3 and the civil-rights law reach. No party labels appear on the ballot, but parties nominate the candidates. Democratic nominees hold 6 of the 7 seats now, and this court decides cases on abortion, elections, and religious liberty.

A case to watch: the court heard Kuilema v. Calvin University in October. A professor was let go after officiating a same-sex wedding, and the case asks how far the civil-rights law reaches into a Christian college's decisions. No decision yet. No candidate has published a religious-liberty position.

Also on the ballot: Thomas Howe and Jody White (U.S. Taxpayers Party nominees). Bridge reports that neither holds a law license.

These boards set state curriculum standards and run the big universities. They're at the bottom of the partisan section, so a straight-ticket vote covers them.

Also on the ballot: Joe Jock (Green). Cook Political Report rates the district as leaning Democratic.

School board and city races are where parental-rights issues are decided day to day. We found no published positions for the Wyoming school board candidates. Their profiles are on the district's site (wyomingps.org/board-candidate-2026), so read them or attend a forum before you vote.

Also on the ballot: Shafina Che Barnett (Green). Democrats have made this district a national target; Cook rates it "Likely Republican." Trump won it 52–46 in 2024.

R Bradley Slagh (incumbent): 18 years in community banking, 12 years as Ottawa County Treasurer, former Zeeland Township Supervisor. Priorities: a balanced budget, corrections and courts funding, roads.

D Richard Abraham: wants bills to move more easily through the Legislature and wants the open-records law (FOIA) to cover the governor and Legislature.

Republicans hold the state House 58–52, and every seat is on the ballot.

We found no published positions for these candidates. A local PAC called GAAC posts questionnaires; it isn't neutral, but it's one place to start. A candidate forum or a direct email is the most reliable way to learn their views.

Asks whether to elect 148 delegates in 2027 to rewrite Michigan's entire constitution. Nothing changes unless voters later approve the new constitution. The convention would have no deadline; the last one, in 1961–62, ran about 10 months. Voters rejected it 67–33 in 2010. It is the only item on this ballot that could reopen Proposal 3 or the civil-rights law.

Bans political contributions from monopoly utilities like DTE and Consumers Energy and from companies with state contracts over $250,000. Requires paid-for-by disclaimers on online ads and donor disclosure for "issue ads" that work as campaign ads.

Funds the county jail and juvenile detention center, which 30+ police agencies use for booking. It would go from 0.7332 mill (current rate after rollbacks) to 0.98 mill, an increase of 0.2468 mill. Estimated $37.3M in the first year. The millage covers about 44% of jail costs; the county's general fund pays the rest.

At $150K taxable: about $110/yr now → about $147/yr (+$37/yr)

Renews 0.4086 mill for John Ball Zoo and the Grand Rapids Public Museum: animal care, exhibits, and education programs. About $15.6M in the first year. It's a renewal at the same rate, so YES keeps your bill the same and NO lowers it.

At $150K taxable: about $61/yr

Voters already renewed the 0.33-mill parks tax in August. This adds another 0.20 mill, bringing the total to 0.53 mill. Projects include Rosy Mound, land near The Bend in Georgetown Township, and finishing the Idema Explorers Trail from Grand Rapids to Grand Haven.

At $150K taxable: +$30/yr

Non-homestead operating renewal of 19.6911 mills (about $9.56M a year). It applies only to businesses, rentals, and second homes, not your primary home; the state requires it for full per-student funding. Sinking fund renewal of 0.9709 mill (about $2.74M a year) for building repairs and safety. Both continue current rates.

Endorsements are a quick read on how a candidate will vote, especially where the candidate has published little. Each cell names the candidate that group endorsed.

"Reported" means a third-party site lists the endorsement but we couldn't open Right to Life's own list to confirm it. Their full list is at rtl.org/get-involved/elections. NRA grades are as listed on nrapvf.org. The Michigan Catholic Conference did not publish a candidate comparison this year.

Michigan's income tax is 4.25% for 2026, and an LLC's profits flow through to the owner at that rate. Every quarter-point cut saves about $250 per $100,000 of profit.

Neither campaign has published a plan for the small-business personal property tax.

The U.S. Taxpayers Party is the openly Christian-conservative third party. This year it nominated Donna Brandenburg for governor and Tim Long for U.S. Senate. In 2022 the party's platform included banning abortion with no exceptions. Neither candidate has a 2026 platform we could find, and polls don't list them by name; "other" polls around 8–10%. Third-party candidates drew under 4% combined in 2022. In a close race, a third-party vote doesn't count toward either major candidate. That's a real trade-off, and it's your call. The Libertarian governor nominee, Anthony Hudson, was disavowed by his own party in September but stays on the ballot.

• Governor debate, Oct 6, WOOD-TV Grand Rapids
• Governor debate, Oct 15, WDIV Detroit
• U.S. Senate debate, Oct 8, WOOD-TV (coverage and clips)
• Secretary of State debate, Oct 8, Bridge Michigan

No debate between Scholten and DeBoer (3rd District) was found.

Wyoming merged its precincts, so your polling place may have changed. The city mailed every voter a new voter ID card showing the new precinct. Confirm yours at mvic.sos.state.mi.us (enter your name, birth month and year, and ZIP). That page also shows your exact official sample ballot. Questions: City Clerk, (616) 530-7296.

Georgetown Township precincts and polling places are listed at gtwp.com/178/Elections. Hudsonville voters can check MVIC or the City Clerk.