City of Ypsilanti — Non-Partisan Elections (Washtenaw County)

What it does

It is proposed City Charter Sections 3.01, 3.04, and 3.06 be amended to provide for election of non-partisan candidates for those offices by filing of nominating petitions and removal of reference to a candidate's party designation on the ballot. Shall this proposed amendment to the Ypsilanti City Charter be adopted?

A YES vote means

Ypsilanti's elections for these offices would become nonpartisan, with candidates filing nominating petitions and no party designation on the ballot.

A NO vote means

Ypsilanti's charter provisions for these elections would not be changed to nonpartisan.

Needed to pass

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Left–right lean

Not a left–right issue: a procedural or local question that liberals and conservatives don't typically split on (AI read of the official ballot summary).

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Explained

Who would notice

Candidates for Ypsilanti mayor and City Council, and Ypsilanti voters. It does not change any tax.

How it got here

This is a citizen-initiated charter amendment. The petition was filed with the City Clerk on July 19, 2024, and the Clerk certified that it had enough valid signatures of registered Ypsilanti voters.

On March 17, 2026 the City Council voted 7–0 for Resolution No. 2026-076, directing the Clerk to forward the certificate of sufficiency to the Washtenaw County Clerk and to the Governor for review under state law. It appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot.

Written by SpectrumVote from 4 linked sources (1, 2, 3, 4). Arguments are each side's own, not ours; the official text is what you vote on.

Background

This charter amendment comes from a citizen initiative petition filed with the City Clerk on July 19, 2024; the City Clerk certified that it had the required number of valid signatures, according to the Certificate of Sufficiency in the March 17, 2026 City Council packet.

On the March 17, 2026 agenda, Resolution No. 2026-076 directed the City Clerk to forward the certificate to the Washtenaw County Clerk and to the Governor for review under the Home Rule City Act; the posted resolution does not record the vote.

WEMU reported in 2024 that the petitions were circulated by the group YpsiBIG and that the measure missed the November 2024 ballot because the City Clerk's office missed the county's filing deadline.

The Ypsilanti City Clerk's office states that under Charter Section 3.01 city elections are currently partisan.

Put on the ballot by Citizen initiative petition (filed July 19, 2024), certified sufficient by the City Clerk; forwarded by City Council Resolution No. 2026-076, March 17, 2026.

From official source 1, official source 2.

In the news

• Proposed amendments to Ypsilanti city charter will not appear on November ballot · WEMU, 2024-09-03

Next elections here

• 2028 presidential election · Who has filed so far, from FEC filings

Also on Washtenaw County ballots

• City of Ann Arbor Proposal A — Charter Amendment Tax for Street, Bridge, and Sidewalk Repair and Replacement
• City of Ann Arbor Proposal B — Charter Amendment Tax for the Construction of New Sidewalks
• City of Ann Arbor Proposal C — Amendment to Modify the Method for Counting Signatures of Nomination Petitions
• City of Ann Arbor Proposal D — Amendment to Modify the Terms of Office for Elected Officials
• City of Ann Arbor Proposal E — Creation and Governance of a Municipal Electric Utility
• City of Dexter — A Proposal to Amend the Dexter City Charter Section 13.05 to Insert Language to Designate Specified Property as Public Park
• City of Ypsilanti — Police Budget
• Augusta Charter Township — Fire Protection and Prevention Millage Increase
• Manchester Township — Fire Protection Services Millage Renewal
• Northfield Township — Fire Service and Medical Rescue Millage Proposal
• Scio Township Road, Bridge, and Culvert Improvement Millage Proposal

All Washtenaw County races and measures →

Quick answers

What does a YES vote on City of Ypsilanti mean?

Ypsilanti's elections for these offices would become nonpartisan, with candidates filing nominating petitions and no party designation on the ballot.

What does a NO vote on City of Ypsilanti mean?

Ypsilanti's charter provisions for these elections would not be changed to nonpartisan.

Did the City Council write this proposal?

No. It came from a voter petition. The council's resolution forwarded the Clerk's certificate of sufficiency to the County Clerk and Governor; it did not draft the amendment.

Are Ypsilanti's elections partisan now?

Yes. The City Clerk's page says that under Charter Section 3.01, elections in Ypsilanti are open and partisan.

Where is the full amended text?

The council packets that forwarded the petition include the Clerk's certificate and the ballot statement but not the full amended sections. State law requires the proposed amendment to be published in full and posted at polling places.

How many votes does City of Ypsilanti need to pass?

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Should I vote yes or no on City of Ypsilanti?

SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.

When is the vote?

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.