Sterling Heights Voter Guide: Macomb County Ballot Info and Election Day Help

We've collected all the information you need to vote this November 3. Scroll to see Michigan information, county information, and city-specific information.

Michigan state voting rules and key statewide races

Registering to vote

• The deadline to register online or by mail is Monday, October 19, 2026. Mail registrations must be postmarked by that date. [reg_online_deadline]
• From October 20 through Election Day, Michigan voters can register or update their address only in person at their city or township clerk’s office — including registering and voting on November 3 up to 8 p.m. [reg_inperson]
• Anyone registering within 14 days before the election, including on Election Day, must show proof of Michigan residency, such as a Michigan driver’s license or state ID, utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, or government document showing their current address. [reg_proof_residency]

How to vote

• Michigan voters must show photo ID to vote, or sign an affidavit affirming they do not have acceptable identification. Voters who sign the affidavit can still cast a ballot. [voter_id]
• Early in-person voting is available from Saturday, October 24 through Sunday, November 1. [early_voting_window]
• To vote absentee, request a ballot by 5 p.m. Friday, October 30 by mail or online, or in person at the clerk’s office until 4 p.m. Monday, November 2. In-person absentee voters complete and submit the ballot at the clerk’s office. [absentee_request]
• Completed absentee ballots must be received by the clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day, November 3, whether returned by mail, to an assigned drop box, or in person. A postmark by Election Day is generally not enough. [absentee_return]
• Military and overseas voters’ ballots may be postmarked by Election Day and received by the clerk within six days after the election. [absentee_military]
• Polls are open on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2026, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters in line by 8 p.m. may still vote. [mi_election_date, election_day_hours]
• Voters can look up their polling place, precinct, assigned early-voting site, and a personalized sample ballot at the Michigan Voter Information Center, mvic.sos.state.mi.us. The same website can be used to track an absentee ballot. [sample_ballot, ballot_tracking]

Key statewide races and proposals

• Governor and lieutenant governor: Democrat Jocelyn Benson with running mate Winnie Brinks faces Republican John James with running mate Jay DeBoyer, plus Libertarian, U.S. Taxpayers, and Green tickets. [gov_race]
• U.S. Senate: Democrat Abdul El-Sayed faces Republican Mike Rogers, with Libertarian, U.S. Taxpayers, and Green candidates also on the ballot. [senate_race]
• Attorney general: Democrat Eli Savit faces Republican Doug Lloyd. [ag_race]
• Secretary of state: Democrat Garlin Gilchrist II faces Republican Anthony Forlini. [sos_race]
• Statewide Proposal 1 asks whether Michigan should convene a constitutional convention to revise the state constitution, a question that appears automatically every 16 years.
• Statewide Proposal 2, an initiated law, would restrict campaign contributions from certain regulated utilities, government contractors, and connected individuals or organizations, while expanding disclosure requirements for certain political communications including online communications.
• The rest of the November 3, 2026 ballot includes all 13 Michigan U.S. House districts, state Senate and state House seats, judicial contests, and local races and proposals. [mi_full_ballot]

Macomb County races and proposals

County executive and county commission

• Macomb County voters choose a county executive for a four-year term: incumbent Mark Hackel, a Democrat, faces Republican Richard Moore. [county_exec]
  • Hackel emphasizes continued investment in county infrastructure, including roads and underground utilities, and expanded mental-health and substance-use services, including a Central Intake and Assessment Center.
  • Moore, a controls design engineer at JR Automation and U.S. Army veteran, focuses on economic development and job creation, public safety and reducing crime, and roads and transportation infrastructure.
• County commission 1st District partial term, ending December 31, 2028: Republican Ken Goike faces Democrat Michael LaBuhn. [county_commission_1]

Countywide millages

• Veterans millage: asks voters to renew and restore the levy to 0.0690 mills — 6.9 cents per $1,000 of taxable value — for four years, 2027 through 2030, to fund financial aid and services for county veterans and the Department of Veterans Affairs. [veterans_millage]
• SMART public-transportation millage: asks for 0.94 mill for five years, 2027 through 2031, to fund transit for older adults, people with disabilities, and the general public, replacing an expiring 0.95-mill levy. [smart_millage]
• Zoological Authority millage: would restore the Detroit Zoo-supporting levy to 0.10 mill — 10 cents per $1,000 of taxable value — for 10 years, made up of a 0.0922-mill renewal plus 0.0078 mill restored for rollback. [zoo_millage]

Sterling Heights city and school ballot

City offices

• No mayor or council race is on Sterling Heights’ November ballot. The city elects its mayor and six councilmembers on a staggered four-year cycle in odd years. [sh_no_council_race]

City charter amendments

• Proposal 1: If a Sterling Heights elected city office becomes vacant and the City Council does not appoint a replacement, or when two or more years remain in the term, the city must call a special election on the next regular election date more than 180 days after the vacancy. [sh_charter_vacancy]
• Proposal 2: Would move the council’s formal purchase and public-improvement approval line from more than $5,000 to $50,000 — the inflation-adjusted equivalent of the 1968 figure. [sh_charter_spending]

School board races

• Sterling Heights is split between Utica Community Schools in the northern part of the city and Warren Consolidated Schools in the southern part, though the boundary varies by address. [sh_districts]
• Utica Community Schools board: four nonpartisan candidates are running for two six-year seats, and voters may select no more than two. [ucs_board, f9, f11]
  • Mary K. Smolenski, board president: a Sterling Heights resident and UCS parent first elected in 2014; emphasizes student safety, academic achievement, staff support, and parent and community trust.
  • Steven Meyer, board treasurer: first elected in 2020 and an assistant dean at Oakland University’s School of Education and Human Services; focuses on student achievement, fiscal responsibility, the district’s Empowered Strategic Plan, and keeping a strong share of the budget in classrooms.
  • Donesa Crivella: a Shelby Township UCS parent, former educator and administrator, and educational-advocacy business owner; focuses on safe learning environments, measurable progress for students with IEPs and 504 plans, transparent communication with families, teacher retention, and plain-language budgets tied to student outcomes.
  • Daryl Robinson II: a healthcare-technology and enterprise-learning professional; campaigns on college and career preparation, supporting educators, transparency and accountability, fiscal responsibility, and family-school partnerships.
  • The Michigan Education Association recommends Meyer and Smolenski. [mea_endorse]
• Warren Consolidated Schools side of Sterling Heights: incumbent Carl Weckerle runs unopposed, filling a partial term that ends December 31, 2030. [wc_board]

Sterling Heights voting locations and local contacts

• Early voting in Sterling Heights runs Saturday, October 24 through Sunday, November 1, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at:
  • Sterling Heights Community Center, 40250 Dodge Park Rd.
• Sterling Heights officials caution that requested absentee ballots can take up to 10 days to arrive, so requesting and returning a ballot early is the safer path. [ballot_arrival, absentee_return]
• City Clerk Melanie Ryska’s office is at 40555 Utica Road and can be reached at 586-446-2420 or [email protected]. [clerk_ryska, clerk_contact]
• Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini’s office oversees county elections. [macomb_clerk]