Michigan elections FAQ: Where Mike Rogers lives and is registered to vote

• Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers is registered to vote in Michigan, but the residence isn’t yet cleared for occupancy
• Rogers, citing construction delays, called any insinuation his residency is not above board “absolutely nuts” 
• Bridge is answering questions from readers throughout the campaign season — submit your own inquiries below

As the Nov. 5 election approaches and political debates heat up, Bridge Michigan is inviting readers to ask questions as part of our Elections FAQ series, which includes a weekly live video show. Submit your question here. 

Readers have asked several questions about Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers’ residency, which Bridge answered in an initial story about his move back to Michigan from Florida. 

But new questions have emerged. 

Rogers purchased a property in White Lake Township in July 2023 and opted to tear down the existing building to build a new, larger house. His campaign reported in May that Rogers was living on a family member’s property nearby until construction on the new home wrapped up. 

The issue was revived this week after the Detroit Free Press reported the new build in White Lake Township still doesn’t have a certificate of occupancy — even though Rogers is already registered to vote there and cast a primary ballot in August using that address. 

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The report raised questions about the legality of Rogers’ residency status and whether he was eligible to vote in the 2024 primary if he hasn’t yet lived in the home. 

Under Michigan election law, a voter must reside in their designated city or township for 30 days before casting a ballot. A registered voter living in the same community can challenge the legality of a fellow voter’s registration, which could lead to an investigation by the local clerk and possible registration cancellation if the concerns were found to be valid. 

Eric Doster, an attorney representing Rogers, argued in comments to The Detroit News that because Rogers is staying in a relative’s home that’s also in White Lake Township, Rogers meets residency requirements. 

Construction delays — specifically a sewer line connection — have kept Rogers and his wife from moving into the new home, he told reporters after Tuesday night’s U.S. Senate debate. He said they have been staying with local family in the meantime but hope to move into the new home as soon as next week: “I live in White Lake,” he said. 

Rogers called insinuations that his Michigan residency isn’t above board “absolutely nuts,” and said the only people who have been asking where he lives are members of the media. 

“I am the only candidate in the race who has purchased a home with my own money in the district,” he said, later adding that those he’s employed to work on the house are “loving the fact that we’re investing in Michigan.” 

Rogers was referencing opponent Elissa Slotkin’s decision to return to her family’s Holly farm, which has been in her family for decades, upon announcing her run for Senate.

Slotkin, a Democrat currently representing Michigan’s 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House, moved to a Lansing rental after political redistricting split Democratic-leaning Lansing into a different district. 

That rental was owned by campaign supporter Jerry Hollister, a medical manufacturing executive. Conservatives criticized the arrangement at the time, though Slotkin paid for the rental and denied claims that the lease agreement influenced her decisions in Congress.

Slotkin moved back to her family’s Holly farm in August, which is not located in the political district she currently represents in Washington. Members of Congress are not legally required to live within their district’s boundaries, though most choose to do so.