Events featured in our newsletter can also be found on the Events Calendar on the main page of our website.

PRIMARY VOTE RESULTS & THE FALL ELECTION

BOARD OF CANVASSERS CERTIFICATION & UNCERTIFIED RESULTS

As announced by Clerk Jennifer Kelly, the Board of Canvassers meets today at 1 PM at the Houghton County Clerk's Office for the purpose of counting any MOVE (military & overseas), and cured signature ballots that were received by any City/Township Clerk by Monday, August 10, 2026 for the August 4, 2026 election. The Canvassers will certify the election after the ballots have been counted.

FALL ELECTION WILL BE HERE QUICKLY

Election Day is November 3rd, but absentee voting starts September 24th - that’s only 44 days away!! Here are key dates to be aware of for the Fall election:

PERMANENT ABSENTEE VOTER LIST

Not on the Permanent Absentee Voter List? Joining this list means you will automatically receive an absentee ballot, mailed to your home address, before every election. There is no need to apply for an absentee ballot before each election. More information about absentee ballots, including how to join the permanent list, can be found at this Michigan Department of State web page.

NOTE for those new to the state: Since 2018 Michigan law allows most voters to request and cast an absentee ballot without requiring a reason. What Michigan calls “absentee voting” is similar to what other states may refer to as their “vote by mail option”.

”IN IT TO WIN IT” FUNDRAISER

We are hosting our first ever “In It to Win It” fundraiser to support local candidates for office. This dinner will be held at Carmelita’s in Calumet on September 21. Tickets on sale starting next week.

ANNUAL LABOR DAY WEEKEND PICNIC

Join us on September 6th at Kestner Park along the Canal in Houghton for our annual Labor Day weekend picnic. We’ll be serving burgers and hot dogs but ask you to please bring a dish to pass (side dish, appetizer or dessert). From 4 PM to 7 PM - it will be an afternoon of fun, fellowship and food!

Once again we are expecting to be joined by candidates and elected officials who will share a few words with us.

FLOCK CAMERAS RESOLUTION

At the August meeting in Calumet last week the revised resolution regarding automated license plate recognition (ALPR) cameras was voted on as read and approved unanimously.

The approved resolution can be viewed at this link.

MI DEMS OF CD1 CHAIR HERE AUGUST 17

Join us on August 17 as we welcome the Chair of the MI Dems of CD1 (our Congressional District Dems group) to our office at 323 Quincy in Hancock.

We’ll gather at 7 PM to hear Chair Chris Cracchiolo speak about the CD1 group, after which he’ll take questions.

MEET MDP CHAIR CURTIS HERTEL AUGUST 20

MDP Chair Curtis Hertel will be here August 20th to meet with Houghton County Democrats. We’ll gather at the HCDP office at 323 Quincy Street in Hancock at 7:30 PM.

TABLE WITH US AT PASTY FEST & HOUGHTON COUNTY FAIR

TABLE WITH US AT PASTY FEST

Help is needed tabling at the 22nd annual Pasty Fest in Calumet. This is our first chance to promote our full November ballot slate! Available shifts are 12-2pm and 2-4pm. You would be joined by Nancy Verive - contact her at (812) 573-1403 to volunteer.

HOUGHTON COUNTY FAIR

Table with us at the Houghton County Fair. Please call or text Barb Turuc at (906) 370-5496 to volunteer.

OFFICE HOURS

We’d love to have your help — volunteer to staff the office leading up to the November election! Shifts are flexible and are typically evenings and weekends. If you’d like to volunteer just drop a line to [email protected] or leave a voicemail at 906-523-1233.

In honor of our nation’s 250th birthday we’d like to prepare a community cookbook so we can all cook up a celebration! So gather up the recipes for those longtime favorites and submit them our Community Cookbook! Just scan the QR code in the graphic, or click the button below to access our form where you can submit your recipe. Or if you’d like you can email your recipe to [email protected]. WE’D LOVE TO HAVE YOUR RECIPES NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER 1ST. Thanks for participating, and please share with your friends and family!!

BALLOT INITIATIVES

In lieu of campaign updates for candidates, this week we are offering perspective on two initiatives likely to appear on November ballots this year:

MICHIGAN MONEY OUT OF POLITICS

The first initiative is the result of a campaign by a coalition of organizations and state residents called Michiganders for Money Out Of Politics. This proposal would prohibit certain organizations and individuals — such as regulated electric and gas utilities, contractors with over $250,000 annually in government contracts, and people and organizations with substantial connections to those utilities or contractors — from making direct or indirect contributions to those who run for office, and also provide further regulations for campaign finance laws and spending on political communications.

While signatures were gathered this initiative was often referred to as the MMOP or “Michigan Money Out of Politics” proposal.

This initiative cleared the State Board of Canvassers on July 24. Barring legal challenges it is expected to appear on the November ballot.

CITIZENSHIP VOTING INITIATIVE

Two petitions circulated earlier this year on the idea of “citizenship voting”. The petitions seek to enact under Michigan constitution voting restrictions similar to the Federal SAVE Act. These restrictions would require every voter in Michigan to submit documents to prove American citizenship in order to register to vote, with a very limited set of documents considered as proof (birth certificate or passport). Your Michigan Driver’s License would not be proof. Married women and others whose names have changed since birth would face further documentation challenges.

One of these initiatives, from the group Americans for Citizen Voting Michigan, claimed over 750,000 signatures on petitions they submitted to the state back in March, well in excess of the number required. Signature verification results have not been made public and as of now the State Board of Canvassers has not considered this measure for the fall ballot, but may yet do so.

Several groups, including the League of Women Voters of Michigan — who called it “needless voter suppression” — have come out against a citizenship voting proposal.

TUE AUG 11

This month's regular meeting of the Houghton County Board of Commissioners is tonight at 6 PM in the Conference Room on the fifth floor of the Houghton County Courthouse. Find more information on the Board's webpage (find the Microsoft Teams virtual meeting info in the Agenda).

WED AUG 12

The Houghton City Council meets at 5:30 PM on Wednesday. The Meeting Agenda is typically posted ahead of the meeting. Look for it in the Searchable Document Center of the Council's website.