Here's what's on your November ballot
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STURGIS — Voters in Michigan will have full ballots in the November 2022 midterm election. Ballots will include statewide, congressional, municipal and school board positions, along with a handful of statewide proposals.
Here's a rundown of candidates and topics on the ballot in the Sturgis area Tuesday, Nov. 8. To view your sample ballot, visit michigan.gov/sos/elections.
Statewide and Congressional
A trio of prominent statewide offices — governor, attorney general and secretary of state — will be on November’s ballot.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, is seeking a second term. She faces Republican Tudor Dixon, who emerged from a crowded primary in August. Third party candidates include Mary Buzema (Libertarian), Donna Brandenburg (U.S. Taxpayers), Kevin Hogan (Green) and Daryl Simpson (Natural Law).
Democrat Dana Nessel is seeking reelection as attorney general against Republican Matthew DePerno. Joseph McHugh Jr. (Libertarian) and Gerald Van Sickle (U.S. Taxpayers) are running as well.
Candidates for secretary of state are Democrat Jocelyn Benson, Republican Kristina Karamo, Libertarian Gregory Stempfle, Christine Schwartz of U.S. Taxpayers and Larry Hutchinson Jr. from the Green Party.
Voters in St. Joseph County will vote in Michigan’s 5th Congressional District. Candidates are Bart Goldberg (Democrat), Tim Walberg (Republican), Norman M. Peterson (Libertarian), and Ezra Scott (U.S. Taxpayers).
Three statewide proposals to amend the state’s constitution will also be decided in November.
Proposal 22-1 aims to change the state’s term limits. If adopted, the proposal will limit state legislators to 12 years of service, which can be served entirely in either the state house or senate, or in a combination of both. The proposal also adds financial disclosure requirements for legislators, the governor, secretary of state, attorney general and lieutenant governor.
Proposal 22-2 deals with voting laws. If approved, the constitutional amendment would add nine days of in-person early voting, allow voters to verify their identity with photo ID or a signed statement, allow voters to use a single application to vote absentee in all elections, require state-funded absentee-ballot drop boxes and postage for absentee applications and ballots, make it so post-election audits may only be conducted by election officials, require military or overseas ballots to be counted if postmarked by election day — and more.
The final proposal, Proposal 22-3, deals with reproductive rights. It would add a constitutional amendment to “establish new individual right to reproductive freedom” for all decisions about pregnancy including childbirth, abortion, postpartum care, contraception, prenatal care and infertility. It would also invalidate state laws conflicting with the amendment.
More: Michigan's Proposal 1 would change term limits, require financial disclosure for lawmakers
More: The abortion rights amendment made Michigan's ballot. Here's exactly what it says
Voters will also choose two members of the state board of education, two regents of the University of Michigan, two trustees for Michigan State University and two governors of Wayne State University.
Michigan Legislature
In the St. Joseph County area, incumbent State Rep. Steve Carra, R-Three Rivers, will face Democratic challenger Roger M. Williams in the 36th district. Democrat Scott Rex Starr will face Republican Jonathan Lindsey in the run for State Senator in the 17th district.
St. Joseph County
One county commissioner race will be contested in November.
In District 2, voters will choose between Republican Rick Shaffer and Democrat Erin L. Schultes.
Municipal
There are five local ballot proposals in November’s election, including two in Leonidas Township.
In Flowerfield Township, voters will decide the fate of a fire protection and ambulance services millage. Voters will decide whether the previously voted millage increase of 1 mill ($1 per $1,000 of taxable value), which has been reduced to .9851 mills by required millage rollbacks, should be renewed at .9851 mills and levied for 10 years (2023 through 2032) for the purpose of funding fire and ambulance services in the township. Monies would be paid to the City of Three Rivers Ambulance Service and the Marcellus Ambulance Service or such other municipal or private fire or ambulance service that the township board shall contract with. The millage in its first year would raise an estimated $73,587.
In Leonidas Township, voters will decide on two proposals: the purchase of fire protection equipment and ambulance service.
The fire protection equipment proposal asks for an increase of up to 2 mills ($2 per $1,000 of taxable value) for five years, 2022 through 2026, and includes one or more fire trucks for the Leonidas Township Fire Department. The 2 mill increase would raise an estimated $95,346 in the first year the millage is levied.
As for the ambulance service, an increase of up to .3985 mills ($0.3985 per $1,000 of taxable value) is being proposed for a period of five years, 2022 through 2026, to provide additional funding for contracting to provide ambulance service within Leonidas Township. About $18,997 would be raised in the first year.
In Mottville Township, a fire protection and ambulance services special assessment district is being proposed. Ballot language reads: Shall Mottville Township have the authority to raise money by special assessment for the provision of township-wide fire protection and ambulance services pursuant to the provisions of PA 33 of 1951, as amended?
In White Pigeon Township, voters will decide on a road improvement millage renewal. They’ll decide if the previous voter-approved increase of .75 mills ($0.75 per $1,000 of taxable value), that is set to expire in 2022, will be renewed at up to .75 mills ($0.75 per $1,000 of taxable value) and levied for five years, 2023 through 2027, to provide funding for road improvements within the township, raising an estimated $170,000 in the first year. The revenues raised would be disbursed to the St. Joseph County Road Commission as matching funds. The expiring millage has not been reduced by millage rollbacks.
Contested local offices include a Village of Colon trustee. There, six candidates are running for three seats. They are Dillon Baker, Donald D’Water, Mervel Delp, Jodi Gross, David Senkewitz and Thomas Whitford.
School Board
Bronson, Centreville, Kellogg Community College, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Vicksburg and White Pigeon school boards all have contested races that will affect St. Joseph County voters in the upcoming election.
In Bronson, two six-year terms are up with six candidates running for those spots. They are Frank Barker, Janet Byler, Brian Eley, Jordon Houtz, Jennifer Krontz and William Rinehart.
In Centreville, five candidates are seeking four four-year terms. They are Jackie Bowen, Clarice Green, Timothy Hall, TJ Reed and Tegan Stuby-Hekter.
In White Pigeon, five candidates also seek four four-year terms on the school board. They are Andrew Morris, Nicole Sigler, Susan Kay Sleeper, Jennifer Stewart and Michele Strayer.
At Vicksburg Community Schools, six candidates seek two six-year terms. They are Jennifer Buikema, Christina Forsyth, Dennis LaPoint, Meghan Lovins, Brian Somers and Kimm Willmont.
Lastly, at the community college level, four candidates are running for two six-year seats at both Kalamazoo Valley Community College and Kellogg Community College. At KVCC, candidates are Patrick Alan Farmer, Paul Foust, Jeff Patton and Gary Sigman while at Kellogg they are Matt Davis, Lisa Mueller, Anthony Pennock and Thomas W. Wood.
All other area races are uncontested.
Judicial Races
A handful of spots on the bench will be contested in statewide races. Two seats on the Michigan Supreme Court are up for election, with incumbents Richard Bernstein and Brian Zahra facing Kyra Bolden of Southfield, Paul Hudson of Kalamazoo and Kerry Lee Morgan of Redford.
— Mitchell Boatman contributed to this article. Contact reporter Michelle Patrick at mpatrick@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: What's on the ballot for the Nov. 2022 election
