Municipal elections for 31 counties and 77 cities across the states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Ohio are being held on Nov. 4, 2025. These elections will have impacts across the Midwest, including cities like Detroit, Lansing, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. Michigan Tech students from these states should plan ahead if they want to vote in their hometowns.
In Detroit, MI, Solomon Kinloch and Mary Sheffield are running for mayor, marking the first time in 12 years that Mike Duggan will not be on the ballot. Both Kinloch and Sheffield advanced in the nonpartisan primary for mayor in Aug. 2025. Members of the City Council, Board of Police Commissioners, and Community Advisory Council will also be on the ballot this year.
In Lansing, MI, five nonpartisan candidates will be running for mayor. Andy Schor is running for re-election against Kelsea Hector, Jeffrey Brown, Brett Brockschmidt, and David Ellis. City Council positions will also be on the ballot. Between Oct. 6 and Nov. 2, you can vote via mail-in ballot or early in-person. For more information on when and where to vote, visit michigan.gov/sos/elections/voting.
Minneapolis will be voting on a new mayor, City Council, Estimate and Taxation Board, and Park and Recreation Board. Fifteen candidates will be running for mayor, including incumbent mayor Jacob Frey, who is running for re-election against state senator Omar Fateh and state senate chaplain DeWayne Davis.
St. Paul, MN, will be electing a new mayor and City Council. Five candidates will be running for mayor, including Melvin Carter, who is seeking his third term, and state representative Kaohly Her. General elections in Minnesota will be held on Nov. 4, 2025. Between Sep. 19 and Nov. 3, you can vote via mail-in ballot or early in-person. For more information on when and where to vote, visit sos.mn.gov/election-administration-campaigns/.
Cleveland, OH, will be voting on a new mayor, City Council, and Municipal Court judges. Democrat Justin Bibb and Republican Laverne Gore are running for mayor.
In Cincinnati, a new mayor and City Council will be voted on. Current mayor Aftab Pureval is running for mayor against Republican Cory Bowman. Between Oct. 7 and Nov. 2, you can vote via mail-in ballot or early in-person voting. Election Day is on Nov. 4. For more information on when and where to vote, visit ohiosos.gov/elections/voters/.
Danielle Meirow, Director of Student Leadership and Involvement, oversees the Voter Engagement Coalition. The Voter Engagement Coalition is a collection of faculty, staff, and students at Tech who are passionate about keeping students involved and up to date on upcoming elections. Meirow urges those who want to get involved with the Voter Engagement Coalition to reach out to her. “We are always looking for more student opinions. We want to make all this information as accessible as possible.” For more information on the Voter Engagement Coalition, reach out to Danielle Meirow on the SLI website, mtu.edu/student-leadership/.
