MPPS

MPPS Policy Brief: Most Michigan local officials report positive or neutral impacts from recent election reforms, but many express concerns around costs of early voting

October 2026
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Debra Horner, Max Wei, Stephanie Leiser

This policy brief presents Michigan city and township officials’ views on the impacts of recent election administration reforms enacted through state constitutional amendments passed in 2018 and 2022, such as automatic voter registration, registration through Election Day, no-excuse absentee voting, and nine days of early in-person voting. These data come from the Spring 2026 Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS), which received responses on election issues from 225 cities and 867 townships statewide.

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Key findings

  • Compared with 2020, city and township officials in 2026 are more likely to say no-excuse absentee voting, voter registration up to 15 days before an election, and same-day voter registration have had "no impact" on their local election administration.
  • In addition, initial negative reactions to same-day registration have also been somewhat tempered. In 2020, 40% of city and township officials said same-day registration had a mostly or very negative impact on their elections. This year, although 26% still say same-day registration has a mostly or very negative impact, 33% say the impact on elections has been positive.
  • Local leaders express the greatest concern about early voting: 41% say that nine days of early in-person voting has had a mostly or very negative impact on local election administration.
  • Officials in Michigan's largest jurisdictions are more likely to report positive effects from early voting, while officials in smaller and more fiscally stressed jurisdictions are more likely to report negative effects.
  • Among clerks, 43% report a mostly or very positive effect for early voting. By contrast, 44% of non-clerk officials—including mayors, supervisors, and managers—report a negative effect. Responses to a follow-up open-ended question suggest that many clerks focus on voter participation, while non-clerk officials often emphasize budgetary strain and staffing challenges associated with early voting.

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