Election coverage: Ingham, Clinton, and Eaton counties

Greater Lansing voters visited the polls Tuesday for November's general election.

In Ingham County just 17.79% of voters cast ballots totally 20,292. In Eaton County, 13,142 people voted, totaling 20.36% of registered voters. Clinton County totals were not immediately available.

Based on unofficial results, this is what happened throughout the region.

Fulton Middleton Schools millage proposals

Updated 10:30 a.m., Nov. 8

A pair of proposals for Fulton schools were trailing, according to online figures.

An operating millage proposal was losing, 310-276, while a sinking fund proposal was behind, 336-249.

Voters in Clinton County's Essex and Lebanon townships are part of the district. Online figures do not include those vote totals.

Eaton Regional Educational Service District proposal

Updated 9 a.m., Nov. 8

Voters approved an Eaton Regional Educational Service District proposal to levy 0.9 mills by a vote of 6,707-6,474.

The millage from 2024 to 2033 will raise $3.05 million in its first year to help fund programs for students with disabilities in the Charlotte, Eaton Rapids, Grand Ledge, Maple Valley and Potterville districts. 

Ingham County

East Lansing

Updated 8:20 a.m.

The city of East Lansing featured three separate ballot proposals. 

Voters rejected a proposal that would change the starting date for city council terms from the Tuesday following an election to the first Tuesday in January following an election failed, 3,226-2,099.

A proposal to change to city council from five to seven members failed, 2,782-2,599. 

A proposal to put in place ranked-choice voting, a system that asks voters to rank their choices in any given race, rather than simply vote for a single candidate, passed 2,810-2,544. 

Eight people were seeking three four-year seats on the East Lansing Council. With 100% of precincts reporting, the top vote-getters were Kerry Ebersole Singh with 3,376 votes, Mark Meadows received 2,413 votes and Erik Altmann with 2,325 votes. Other candidates included Daniel Bollman with 2,283 votes; Noel Garcia Jr., 1,536 votes; Joshua Ramirez-Roberts, 948 votes; Christopher Wardell, 841 votes; and Rebecca Kasen, 903 votes.

Lansing

Updated 8:20 a.m.

In the city of Lansing, candidates were vying for seats in three separate council races. 

Four candidates were vying for two four-year, at-large seats. Tamera Carter and Trini Lopez Pehlivanoglu were elected to those seats with 8,663 and 8,423 votes respectively. Jody Washington received 6,147 votes and Missy Lilje received 2,050.

In the 1st Ward, incumbent Ryan Kost and Michael VandeGuchte were seeking a single four-year term. Kost held onto the seat in a 2,463-744 vote.

In the 3rd Ward, incumbent Adam Hussain and King Roberton were seeking a single four-year term. Hussain held onto the seat in a 2,345-801 vote.

A revision to Lansing’s city charter passed 7,208-6,762.

Leslie

Updated 11:56 p.m. ET Nov. 7, 2023

Leslie voters faced seven proposals on the ballot Tuesday. 

A proposal to amends the city’s non-discrimination charter section to require certain actions and expand who is protected passed, 143-12. 

A proposal to amend the city charter to amend the timeframe for city council nominating petitions to be turned in passed, 133-22.

A charter amendment on filling council vacancies passed, 98-54.

A proposal to amend the charter removing the requirement that the city attorney draft ordinances and amendments, and only require them to review those, passed, 121-31.

A proposal to amend the charter referring to which meetings a budget must be reviewed passed, 144-11.

A charter amendment detailing when and where city council meetings must be posted passed, 142-12.

Voters elected three people who ran unopposed to four-year terms on council.

In Leslie, voters elected three people who ran unopposed to four-year terms on council. Collin Baker received 118 votes. Votes cast for write-in candidates Brandon Hunter and John Sharick were not available in Ingham County’s summary. 

Clinton County

Eagle Township's supervisor recalled

Updated 10:12 p.m. ET Nov. 7, 2023

In Eagle Township, voters recalled Supervisor Patti Jo Schafer and opted to have Troy Stroud replace her.

Stroud received 741 votes, while Schafer received 256.

A third candidate Charles Truesdell received 28 votes.

Eaton County races

Bellevue Community Schools

Updated 8:50 a.m.

In the Bellevue Community Schools district, a proposal to renew the operating millage passed 247-190. The proposal will authorize the millage at a rate of 19.9907 mills from 2024 to 2032. State law limits operating millages to 18 mills, but the higher rate will allow the district to maintain the maximum amount as the Headlee Tax Limitation act slowly rolled the rate back. The millage should collect about $603,000 in its first year. 

Charlotte

Updated 10:05 p.m. ET Nov. 7, 2023

In the city of Charlotte, Tim Lewis defeated Branden Dyer for a five-year term as mayor in an 862-567 vote.

Michael Duweck won an unopposed five-year term for an at-large seat with 1,049 votes.

Jeffrey Christensen won an unopposed partial term for Charlotte City Council, District 1, ending in November 2026, with 490 votes.

Curt Scott won an unopposed five-year term for Charlotte City Council, District 1, with 480 votes.

In District 2, no candidate filed for a full five-year term. A partial term ending in November 2026 was won by Kevin Fullerton with 458 votes, defeating Mikaela Bliven, who received 311 votes.

Eaton Rapids

In the city of Eaton Rapids, Dale Erion and Deb Malewski both sought a four-year term in District 1 with Malewski winning, 127-42.

In District 2 Kenneth Charles Nicholas was a write-in candidate and was the only one to file.

In District 3, William Steele won an unopposed four-year term with 182 votes.

Olivet

In Olivet, Laura Barlond-Maas was unopposed for a two-year mayoral term and received 82 votes.

Three people were elected (unopposed) to four-year council terms, including Joseph Davis with 76 votes, Joe Hoffdahl with 76, and Donald Walker with 74 votes.

Potterville

In Potterville, seven people vied for four five-year seats on council. Winning seats on council were Bob Nichols with 188 votes, Dawn Sweeney with 186, Zachary Connor with 157 and Hannah Myers-Southerly with 143. Other candidates included Jeffrey Bussard with 136, Nora Smalley with 139 and Allen Selis with 134.

Libby Ranshaw was elected to a two-year, partial term council member without opposition, and received 217 votes.

Polls are now closed

Updated 8 p.m. ET Nov. 7, 2023

It's 8 p.m. and polls are now closed. It is also the deadline for returning an absentee ballot by drop box or to your local clerk. Remember, if you were in line before or at 8 p.m., stay in line because anyone in line by 8 p.m. must be allowed to vote. 

Check back for updates as results come in.

— Sarah Atwood