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
Most Michigan city and township officials report positive or neutral impacts from recent state election administration reforms, but many cite the costs and staffing demands associated with nine days of early in-person voting as a concern, according to a new University of Michigan survey.
"We're still in the first few election cycles of conducting nine days of early voting in Michigan, and many of our local governments are encountering challenges, both the costs and the difficulties of staffing it," said Debra Horner, co-author of the brief and senior program manager for the Michigan Public Policy Survey at the Ford School of Public Policy.
Assessments of the impact of the nine-day early voting requirement on local election administration vary by partisan identification, community size and local fiscal health. Officials in Michigan's largest jurisdictions are more likely to report positive impacts, while those in smaller and more fiscally stressed jurisdictions are more likely to report negative impacts.
The survey examines local government reactions to state constitutional amendments approved by Michigan voters in 2018 through Proposal 3 and in 2022 through Proposal 2.
Key takeaways:
- Only 7% of local officials report a negative impact from expanded drop box access, while 46% report a positive impact and 34% report no impact so far.
- Negative assessments of same-day voter registration have decreased since 2020. In 2026, 33% of local officials report positive impacts, compared with 26% who report negative impacts.
- Overall, 41% of city and township leaders say nine days of early in-person voting has had a mostly or very negative impact on their election administration.
- Among city and township clerks, 43% report either a very or mostly positive impact from early voting. By contrast, a 44% plurality of mayors, township supervisors and managers report a very or mostly negative impact.
- After accounting for factors including population size and jurisdiction type, 50% of Republican local officials and 33% of Independents report negative impacts from nine-day early voting, compared with 18% of Democrats.
- In Michigan's largest jurisdictions, 68% of officials say early voting has had a positive impact. By contrast, in jurisdictions with 1,500 to 5,000 residents, 43% report a mostly or very negative impact.
One local Michigan official described the burden on small jurisdictions: "The nine-day early voting does not make sense for townships with small populations. It is very expensive to have poll workers available for nine days when we get less than 10 people voting early. One day on a weekend would make more sense for small townships."
Local fiscal health is also associated with officials' assessments. Among officials in communities reporting high fiscal stress, 52% say nine-day early voting has had a negative impact, compared with 40% to 41% in communities with low or medium fiscal stress. Open-ended responses cite election-worker payroll, equipment expenses, low early-voting turnout and broader budget strain among the challenges associated with early voting.
"We're seeing that while many local clerks generally support the idea of making it easier for their residents to vote, the fiscal reality is that nine days of early voting can be a pretty significant strain on resources, especially if your community is already struggling. Dollars that pay for nine days of poll workers can't be spent to fill potholes," said Stephanie Leiser, co-author of the brief and director of the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy.
The Michigan Public Policy Survey, conducted by the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy at U-M's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy in partnership with Michigan's local government associations, is an ongoing census survey of all 1,856 general-purpose local governments in Michigan.
The spring 2026 wave was conducted March 30-June 5, 2026, and received responses from 1,328 jurisdictions, resulting in a 72% response rate by unit. The election reform findings focus on responses from Michigan cities and townships, the local governments responsible for conducting elections.
