East Grand Rapids, Michigan Public Records

After the 15-day deadline, same-day voter registration is available at the clerk's office or polling place with proof of residency. Voters must provide their name, address, birth date, and last four digits of their Social Security number. The city holds municipal elections in odd-numbered years, typically in November. Voters elect a mayor and six city commissioners in staggered terms. The next municipal election is scheduled for November 2025, with commissioner seats on the ballot. City council meetings are held at City Hall, 750 Lakeside Drive SE, and local ballot proposals occasionally appear for library millages, parks improvements, or charter amendments. Candidate information and local ballot language can be found on the City of East Grand Rapids website at eastgr.org or the Kent County Elections website. Residents can locate their assigned polling place using the Michigan Voter Information Center at michigan.gov/vote by entering their name and birth date. Kent County provides a polling place locator at accesskent.com/Departments/Clerk/elections.htm. In the November 2024 presidential election, Kent County reported approximately 67% voter turnout with over 320,000 ballots cast from roughly 475,000 registered voters. On November 3, 2026, voters in the area will decide several major races. Michigan does not have a U.S. Senate seat up for election in 2026 (both Senators Peters and Slotkin were elected in 2024 and 2020 respectively). The Governor's office is not up in 2026 (next gubernatorial election is 2026). Michigan voters will elect all 110 state House of Representatives seats; East Grand Rapids is in the 77th House District. County offices potentially on the ballot include Kent County Commission seats (even-numbered districts in 2026), Kent County Clerk, Register of Deeds, Treasurer, and Sheriff (four-year terms). School board positions and potential millage renewals may also appear. Michigan offers no-reason absentee voting. Any registered voter can request an absentee ballot online at michigan.gov/vote, by mail, or in person at the Kent County Clerk's office. Applications must be received by 5:00 PM the Friday before the election, though voters can request and submit absentee ballots in person at the clerk's office up until 8:00 PM on Election Day. Absentee ballots can be returned by mail (must be postmarked by Election Day and received within six days), delivered to ballot drop boxes (available 24/7 until 8:00 PM Election Day), or submitted in person to the clerk's office. Public election records in Michigan include voter registration lists (available to campaigns and organizations for election purposes under MCL 168.522), campaign finance reports (searchable at michigan.gov/campaignfinance), candidate filings and nominating petitions, and precinct-by-precinct election results. Kent County posts unofficial election night results at accesskent.com/Departments/Clerk/elections.htm and certified results are published after canvassing. Poll books showing who voted (but not how they voted) are public records available after elections.