Michigan election Tuesday: school bonds, special Senate race. What to know

Voters will decide Tuesday whether Democrats will retain control of the state Senate
35 school bond requests are also on the ballot
Polls open at 7 a.m.

Michigan voters will head to the polls Tuesday, where they will decide on school funding and the balance of power of the state Senate.

Local funding measures are on the ballot across 112 communities, including bond requests from 35 school districts for construction projects. In addition, voters in Bay, Charlevoix and Newaygo counties will decide on tax proposals for road repairs, according to Gongwer News Service’s millage tracker.

Meanwhile, voters in Midland, Bay and Saginaw counties will select a new state senator to fill the empty 35th District seat and determine whether Democrats will retain control of the Senate.

There are 67 counties with elections Tuesday, according to the Secretary of State.

Polls are open from 7 a.m to 8 p.m. local time:

Here’s what to know.

School bonds

The largest of the school bond proposals are $175 million for Roseville Community Schools in Macomb County, $156.3 million for Brighton Area Schools in Livingston County and $149 million for Grand Blanc Community Schools in Genesee and Oakland counties.

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Schools have struggled to pass bonds in recent years but had success last November. Voters approved 64.6% of school bond requests in November 2025, 58.3% in August 2025 and 49% in May 2025.

Senate race

In the state Senate race, Republican Jason Tunney is running against Democrat Chedrick Greene. The 35th District Senate seat has been vacant for nearly 500 days. The candidates are running to succeed Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet, who resigned after winning a seat in Congress.

Right now, Democrats hold a 19-18 advantage in the state Senate. Democratic Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist could break any 19-19 ties in the Senate but experts say Republicans could still effectively block any bills they choose.

“If Republicans win, there’s every reason to believe that things will get even slower on non-budgetary issues,” said John Sellek, a Republican strategist and CEO of the Lansing-based Harbor Strategic Public Affairs. Lawmakers are moving at a historically slow pace this year.