Detroit Issues Guide 2026 – Updated Edition

October 13, 2026

Detroit’s November 3 General Election will shape decisions about housing, public transit, schools, taxes, and public safety in every Detroit neighborhood. The Detroit Issues Guide 2026 is a free, nonpartisan voter guide from Detroit Future City (DFC) that explains how state and local government decisions affect those issues, and what Detroiters will see on their ballot this fall.

What’s new in the October update

Now updated for Michigan’s November 3 General Election, the guide reflects what changed after the August Primary, including:

• August Primary turnout: Just 21% of Detroit’s registered voters cast a ballot, roughly 1 in 5.
• August ballot results: Voters approved both the countywide Wayne County transit millage and the renewal of the Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) operating millage (Proposal S). The guide explains what each means for Detroit residents.
• The November ballot: A full list of races, including the DPSCD School Board election, and the four ballot proposals voters will decide.
• Key dates and deadlines: When early voting begins and the last day to request an absentee ballot by mail.

What’s inside the guide

The guide provides factual context on each issue without endorsing positions, candidates, political parties or ballot proposals. Each section explains why the issue matters, outlines current policy developments, describes how public policy shapes outcomes, and ends with questions residents can consider as they prepare to vote. It also includes voter registration information, absentee and early voting guidance, important election dates, and links to official election resources to help Detroiters prepare for General Election voting period, now to November 3.

A companion resource with the Citizens Research Council of Michigan

The Detroit Issues Guide 2026 was developed in partnership with the Citizens Research Council of Michigan (CRC), which brings its statewide expertise in public finance and government policy. For CRC’s analysis of the policy questions behind each issue, visit their website here.

The Detroit Early Voting Challenge

This guide is part of a broader voter education effort led by the Detroit Early Voting Coalition, a collective of organizations dedicated to increasing civic engagement and voter literacy in Detroit. Detroit’s Early Voting Challenge returns for the General Election, encouraging Detroiters to beat their neighbors to the polls during the in-person early voting period, which begins Saturday, October 24. Residents can visit early.onecivic.org to see how many people in each district have voted, find their district, learn where they can drop off their ballots, and even where they can register to vote. This effort is led by CIVIC, in partnership with Detroit Future City, Citizens Research Council of Michigan, All Voting is Local, Politics on the Go, and the Detroit Department of Elections.

To learn more about Detroit’s Early Voting Challenge, click here.