Who should I vote for in Wayne 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 Wayne County ballot

95 races and 26 ballot measures decided in Wayne County, plus the statewide, legislative and congressional races on the Michigan page.

• 3rd Circuit Court Judge (Incumbent Position) (Partial Term Ending 2031)
• 3rd Circuit Court Judge (Incumbent Position)
• 3rd Circuit Court Judge (Non-Incumbent Position)
• 16th District Court Judge (Incumbent Position)
• 17th District Court Judge (Incumbent Position)
• 18th District Court Judge (Incumbent Position)
• 19th District Court Judge (Incumbent Position)
• 20th District Court Judge (Incumbent Position)
• 21st District Court Judge (Non-Incumbent Position)
• 23rd District Court Judge (Incumbent Position)
• 24th District Court Judge (Incumbent Position)
• 25th District Court Judge (Non-Incumbent Position)
• 28th District Court Judge (Incumbent Position)
• 31st District Court Judge (Incumbent Position)

Ballot measures

• Wayne County Zoological Authority — Renewal of Wayne County Zoological Authority Millage in Support of the Detroit Zoo
• Southeast Michigan Public Historical Museum Authority Millage Proposal (Wayne County)
• City of Dearborn Heights — General Revision of the City Charter Proposal
• City of Gibraltar — Public Safety Millage Proposal
• City of Grosse Pointe — Special Assessment for Police and Fire Departments
• City of Grosse Pointe Park — Parks and Recreation Millage Proposal
• City of Lincoln Park — Headlee Override Proposal
• City of Riverview Ballot Proposal — Sale of Part of Riverview Highlands Golf Course
• City of Riverview Bond Proposal
• City of Rockwood — Headlee Operating Millage Restoration for Transportation Infrastructure

See every Wayne County race and measure →

Quick answers

Who should I vote for in Wayne 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 Wayne 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 Wayne 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.

How do ballot measures work?

A YES vote supports the change the measure describes and a NO vote keeps things as they are. Wayne County has 26 on the ballot; each page explains what YES and NO do in plain language, with the official text.