Election 2026

NCJW | MI’s Advocacy and Elections Committee is focused on educating the community on what they need to know to vote in the 2026 midterm election. Ballot proposals and information on nominees for court judgeships have been a major focus. The committee is also focusing on getting out the vote for the General Election on November 3.

Members of the committee:

Have worked to collect and check signatures for the Michiganders for Money Out of Politics ballot proposal
Have worked to educate voters to decline to sign the petition for Americans for Citizen Voting because its documentary proof of citizenship requirement would keep thousands of eligible voters from registering to vote; the measure failed to gather enough valid signatures to make it on the ballot
Have created a plan to educate the community on the ballot proposals and to distribute education-related materials
Hosted “Ballot Proposal Deep Dive”, a webinar that (1) focused on the two ballot proposals and what supporters and opponents of each say and (2) NCJW | MI’s position of each proposal

Program

Michigan Ballot Initiatives Explained: A Deep Dive
Monday, September 14, 2026, 7:00 p.m. on Zoom

Join us as Nomi Joyrich, Michigan Director for Jews for a Secular Democracy, explains the proposals on the November ballot that stand to dramatically change Michigan politics. Following the presentation, Lynn Lieberman, NCJW State Policy Advocate, Michigan will offer insights on NCJW | MI’s position on each of the proposals.

Click HERE to view the recording

Click HERE to view the NCJW | MI Positions on 2026 Ballot Proposals

Click HERE to view the Talking Points for Ballot Proposals 1 and 2

Click HERE to view the Michigan Ballot Proposal Deep Dive handout

More information is available at:

Protect MI Constitution from Special Interests (Proposal 1)
Michiganders for Money Out of Politics (Proposal 2)

Voting Reminders

Local clerks run the elections, not the county clerks. Contact your city or township clerk if you have questions or need assistance.
You have several options for how you can vote:
- By absentee ballot – it must be received before 8 p.m. on Election Day, November 3, 2026
- In person before Election Day at your Early Voting location (October 24-November 1)
- At your local clerk’s office with an absentee ballot up to November 2 at 4 p.m. if you are registered to vote where you live; after 4 p.m. you must vote at your polling place on Election Day
- On Election Day at your polling place
- If you need to register and vote on Election Day, go to your local city or township clerk’s office until 8 p.m.

Voting by absentee ballot (absent voter ballot) has not changed. We recommend that you avoid mail delays by returning the completed absentee ballot to your city or township clerk’s office, to your early voting site, to your polling place, or drop it in your city or township drop box. If you wish to return the ballot by mail, mail it early – at least 2-3 weeks before Election Day.
You can now track your absentee ballot and receive email notifications.
You can take your absentee ballot to your early voting site or your polling place on Election Day and cast it into the tabulator to be counted that day.
If you choose to vote in person and not by absentee ballot, be sure to return the absentee ballot when you go to vote.
Log in to the Michigan Voter Information Center to access your voter information. Enter the required information to search for your personalized voter information.
- Check your Registration Status
- Find your Early Voting site(s) and Election Day polling place locations and hours (these might have changed).
- Determine status of Permanent Ballot and Email Notification Subscriptions
- View a sample ballot
- Track an absentee ballot and more…
If you have applied for an absentee ballot or are on the Permanent Mail Ballot list and do not get your absentee ballot, reach out to your city or township clerk.
Note how many candidates you can vote for in each race. You might receive an endorsement card with more candidates endorsed for a race than you can select.
Be sure to vote for the correct number of candidates (or fewer) in each race.

Vote up and down the ballot. Be sure to turn over the ballot and vote for the ballot proposals and candidates in races on the back of the ballot.
Sign the outside of the envelope with your official signature. That is the signature that you used to sign your driver’s license or your voter registration application.
Remember: Even if you vote a straight ticket in the General Election, you can cross over and vote for candidates in different parties. You still have to make your selections for candidates in nonpartisan races (court races, school board races, library board races, etc.).

If you want to report a problem or have questions, you can call the nonpartisan Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866) 687-8683

Resources

How to Register and Vote in Michigan

Michigan Voter Information Center – https://michigan.gov/Vote (or mi.gov/vote)
How to Vote in Michigan – https://www.michigan.gov/sos/elections/voting
MI Vote, MI Way: Your Voting Options – gov/MIVoteOptions

org – https://www.michiganvoting.org/
Know Your Voting Rights – https://www.michiganvoting.org/know-your-voting-rights
One-Pagers & Pocket Guides – https://www.michiganvoting.org/one-pagers

Vote411 Election Dates and Voter Information – https://www.vote411.org/michigan
Michigan Early Vote – https://michiganearlyvote.com/
Find the early vote centers and absent voter drop boxes for your municipality

(NOTE: This information is also posted at the Michigan Voter Information Center. Access your voter information at https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/Voter/Index. Enter the required information to search for your personalized voter information.)

Research the Candidates and Proposals on Your Ballot

Vote411 Your Voters’ Guide – https://www.vote411.org/ballot (LWV Education Fund)
Enter your address to access your personalized ballot and candidate information
My Ballot My Power – https://myballotmypower.org/ Learn about the races on your ballot

Ballotpedia/Sample Ballot Lookup – https://ballotpedia.org/Sample_Ballot_Lookup

Enter your address to access candidates on your ballot and view a candidate’s biography, past election results, and campaign themes and responses to a candidate survey.

Key Dates For 2026 General Election

Now: Absentee ballots are available, as of September 24, to all voters to vote in person with an absentee ballot at your city or township clerk’s office. You can request an absentee ballot online or download and submit a paper application. Be sure to check the status of your voter registration.
October 13: The last day to request an absentee ballot if you want to vote from home, to allow enough time to receive, complete, and return it by the deadline.
October 19: Last day to register to vote online or by mail.
Starting October 20, you must register in person at your city or township clerk’s office with proof of residency.
October 20: For most voters, we recommend this be the last day to return your ballot by mail to avoid postal delays.
Starting October 21, we recommend returning your completed ballot in person to your city or township clerk’s office or to a secure drop box in your community before 8 p.m. on November 3 to be counted. For voters serving in the military or living overseas, ballots must be postmarked by Election Day, November 3 and received by November 9 (six days after Election Day).
October 24-November 1: Early in-person voting is required throughout the state. Some communities may choose to start Early Voting as early as October 5. Learn more about early voting here.
November 2 at 4m.: Deadline to vote in person, with an absentee ballot, at your city or township clerk’s office if you are registered to vote where you live. After this, you must vote at your polling place on Election Day.
Election Day, November 3: Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Same-day registration: If you need to register to vote, you can register and vote at your city or township clerk’s office until 8 p.m.
Completed absentee ballots must be received by your city or township clerk by 8 p.m. to be counted. Ballots for military personnel or those living overseas must be received by November 9.

Candidate Questionnaire Responses 2026

Click HERE to view the responses from candidates that replied.