Applegate, Michigan Public Records

Michigan's bond and bail system allows for release under certain conditions, with amounts set by the court based on offense severity. Those seeking information about someone recently arrested can contact the jail directly or use online resources provided by the Sheriff's Office.

Michigan voter registration can be completed online at the Michigan Secretary of State website (www.michigan.gov/sos) up to 15 days before an election, or in person at Sanilac County Clerk's office, township clerk's office, or Secretary of State branch offices. Same-day registration is also available at the clerk's office during early voting and on Election Day itself. Michigan's Election Day registration law, effective 2018, allows eligible citizens to register and vote the same day by providing proof of residency. To register, applicants must be U.S. Citizens, at least 18 years old by Election Day, residents of Michigan and their city or township, and not currently serving a jail or prison sentence. As an unincorporated community, Applegate does not hold municipal elections for mayor or city council. Instead, residents vote in Austin Township elections for township supervisor, clerk, treasurer, and trustees, typically held in August (primary) and November (general) of even-numbered years. The next township elections will occur in August and November 2026. Local voters also participate in Sanilac County elections for county commissioners, sheriff, prosecutor, clerk, treasurer, register of deeds, and drain commissioner. In the November 3, 2026 general election, Michigan voters will decide several significant races. The Governor's office is not up (Governor Whitmer's term extends to 2027), but voters will decide on U.S. Representative for Michigan's 9th Congressional District (which includes Sanilac County), Michigan State Senate and State House seats, Sanilac County offices, Austin Township positions, and various judicial seats including circuit and district court judgeships if terms expire. There is no U.S. Senate seat up in Michigan in 2026. Sanilac County in November 2024 recorded approximately 48% voter turnout with roughly 19,000 registered voters and approximately 9,200 ballots cast in the presidential election, reflecting typical rural turnout patterns. Residents can find their assigned polling place by visiting the Michigan Voter Information Center at www.michigan.gov/vote, entering their name and date of birth, or by contacting the Austin Township Clerk or Sanilac County Clerk. Michigan offers no-excuse absentee voting, any registered voter may request an absentee ballot without providing a reason. Absentee ballot applications can be submitted online through the Michigan Voter Information Center, by mail, or in person at the county or township clerk's office. Ballots must be requested by 5:00 PM the Friday before the election, though emergency absentee ballots are available under certain circumstances. Completed absentee ballots must be returned by 8:00 PM on Election Day to be counted. Michigan also implemented early voting beginning in 2024, allowing voters to cast ballots in person at designated early voting sites during the nine days before Election Day. Public election records in Michigan include voter registration lists (available for purchase for election purposes), campaign finance disclosures filed with the Secretary of State (searchable at www.michigan.gov/campaignfinance), candidate filings, and precinct-level election results. The Sanilac County Clerk posts unofficial election results on election night, with official canvassed results available within two weeks of the election.