Who should I vote for in Grand Traverse County? A nonpartisan guide to the 2026 ballot

How to decide, step by step

1. See your exact ballot. Enter your address: districts depend on where you live. It stays in your browser.
2. Pick the two or three issues you care about most. For federal and state candidates, open "Where they stand on issues" on each one: it covers taxes and spending, immigration, abortion, guns, energy and gas prices, and health care, plus Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Iran, and China and Taiwan for congressional candidates, with their actual votes for anyone who has served. For local races, where those issues rarely come up, read what the office does and each candidate's own website.
3. Compare candidates race by race. Look at each one's record, where they fall left to right, who funds them and who endorses them. Every fact links to its source.
4. Read every ballot measure. Check what a YES and a NO vote each do; the wording on the ballot can be confusing.
5. Don't skip the bottom of the ballot. County, school board, city and judicial races decide your property taxes, schools and roads, and they're often decided by a few hundred votes.
6. Make a plan to vote: early, by mail or on Election Day, November 3, 2026.

What's on the Grand Traverse County ballot

14 races decided in Grand Traverse County, plus the statewide, legislative and congressional races on the Michigan page.

• Fife Lake Township Clerk (Partial Term Ending 2028)
• Garfield Township Trustee (Partial Term Ending 2028)
• Peninsula Township Library Board Member (Partial Term Ending 2028)
• Union Township Treasurer (Partial Term Ending 2028)
• Village of Fife Lake Council Member (2-Year Term)
• Village of Fife Lake Council Member (4-Year Term)
• Village of Fife Lake Council Member (Partial Term Ending 2028)
• Village of Fife Lake President
• Village of Kingsley Council Member
• Village of Kingsley Council Member (Partial Term Ending 2028)
• Kingsley Area Schools Board Member
• Northwestern Michigan College Board of Trustees Member
• Northwestern Michigan College Board of Trustees Member (Partial Term Ending 2028)
• Traverse City Area Public Schools Board Member

See every Grand Traverse County race and measure →

Quick answers

Who should I vote for in Grand Traverse County?

SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. No honest nonpartisan source will. What SpectrumVote does is show every race on your Grand Traverse County ballot with each candidate's record, funding, outside spending and endorsements side by side, so you can decide based on the issues you care about.

When is the election?

The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.

How do I see my exact ballot?

Enter your address at spectrumvote.com. Which state House, state Senate and congressional districts you're in depends on your address, so two neighbors in Grand Traverse County can have different ballots. Your county election office also publishes official sample ballots.

Do I have to vote in every race?

No. You can leave any race or measure blank; the rest of your ballot still counts.

What do the left–right placements mean?

Each candidate is placed on one scale from their own record: votes in Congress or the state legislature, or who donates to their campaigns, using published academic research. First-time candidates with no record get an AI estimate from their own website, clearly labeled, or no placement at all. The placement describes; it isn't a recommendation.