Early voting begins tomorrow, October 24. Know your plan.

Help a friend.

Spread the word.

Any questions?

Click the link:

VOTER INFO —>

Governor/Lt. Gov.: Jocelyn Benson/Winnie Brinks

MEET JOCELYN | WHERE SHE STANDS

Secretary of State: Garlin Gilchrist II

VISIT GARLINGILCHRIST.COM

Attorney General: Eli Savit

MEET ELI | WHERE HE STANDS

U.S. Senate: Abdul El-Sayed

MEET ABDUL | WHERE HE STANDS
EL-SAYED vs. ROGERS

U.S. Congress District 1: Callie Barr

MEET CALLIE | WHERE SHE STANDS

State Senate District 37: Kate Gallup

MEET KATE | WHERE SHE STANDS

Listen to her Podcast Interview

State House District 18: Betsy Coffia

MEET BETSY | WHERE SHE STANDS

State House District 104: Mitch Distin

MEET MITCH | WHERE HE STANDS

State House District 105: Rachel Longendyke-Teeter

MEET RACHEL | WHERE SHE STANDS

Is this the most important voting cycle of our lives? Possibly. Click the Michigan Dems logo below for a huge collection of voting resources so you can be sure your vote will be counted!

We’ve recently received word in regards to some folks not receiving the newsletter, even after subscribing. It seems to be a mail filtering issue - the mail inbox doesn’t recognize our publication as ‘safe’ and blocks it from coming into the receiver’s mailbox (obviously this doesn’t apply to you since you’re reading this now!) .

We think we’ve found a workaround, and if you know of anyone who is experiencing this issue, please share this fix: simply add antrimdems@substack.com to your EMAIL contact list. Be sure you add it to the email address line. Called ‘Whitelisting,’ this tells the mail server to trust this address and allow the mail in.

Some folks using Gmail have said no mail, and not in junk folder. Please also check the ‘Promotions’ folder as sometimes Substack emails end up there. Users can then simply reassign the email from Promotions to the regular inbox and Gmail will ‘learn’ this is what is preferred.

ALSO - For folks that have the Substack app, there is a function in settings called push notifications or ‘Smart Delivery’ which turns off all direct inbox emails.

Users who have the app should go to the app or account settings and change newsletter delivery back to “Prefer email” or “Both email and push”.

Reach out if you or anyone you know is still experiencing a problem.

Many thanks to you all!

UPCOMING EVENT SCHEDULE CHANGE FOR MITCH DISTIN

act blue link: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/mitchformichigan

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL CALENDAR OF REGULAR EVENTS ON OUR WEBSITE

JOIN OR RENEW YOUR 2026 MEMBERSHIP

CLICK RIGHT HERE

Download our membership form to mail in or click a link below

Click to Download Form

Voting in Antrim County Membership

Join Here

Part Time Resident (non-voting)

Join Here

ANTRIM DEMS HAVE THE AD-VANTAGE

The Ad Team is hard at work creating ads that will draw folks in – looking out for us all, rather than locking people out.

We appreciate your support! Every dollar goes toward our efforts to get the word out.

Click here to donate via ActBlue

Or you can mail a check to:
Antrim County Democratic Party
P.O. Box 331
Elk Rapids, MI 49629

· Official Website: Antrim County Democratic Party

· Facebook Page: Antrim County Democratic Party on Facebook

Thanks for your support!

QUICK READ….

SOWING CHAOS

BY ROBERT REICH

The goal is the chaos:

On the surface it may look like what USPS is doing is a way to disenfranchise voters, but that is a just a smoke screen. The real plan is chaos in our election system.

The Trump administration has a track record of “change it until you break it” approach to governing. But with elections, breaking the system creates opportunity.

Consider what happens if a Republican loses a close race and late-arriving mail ballots determine the outcome. The administration has created uncertainty over whether those ballots were mailed on time. That gives the losing candidate exactly what is needed to contest them — and, if enough ballots are involved, contest the election itself.

Trump spent years attacking mail voting and refused to accept the results of an election he lost. His administration knows perfectly well how uncertainty over ballots can be weaponized after Election Day.

I don’t think this is simply another poorly executed rollout. Create confusion over which ballots are valid, wait to see who loses, and use that confusion when it is politically useful.

The chaos isn’t a flaw. It’s the plan.

Make your plan early and VOTE EARLY!

From Kevin Garlock —

“This is what we have to try and change, for over 50 years they have been conditioned to think anyone with an R is the good guy.

And now it’s basically just a team sport where you are okay with your side doing whatever as long as you feel on top.”

Antrim County Democratic Party/Michigan

Chairperson: Veronica Welter, Chair@antrimdems.com

Website: antrimdems.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AntrimCountyDemocraticParty/

ANTRIM DEMS NEWSLETTER, WRITTEN AND ASSEMBLED BY SALLIE FOLEY, ALLEN WOLF, and JIM BLACK.
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS CAN BE DIRECTED TO SFOLEY@ANTRIMDEMS.COM

For more contact information, including Michigan senators and house representatives, visit our full contact information page by clicking HERE

Support Antrim Dems Today!

For your own reference, here is the ANTRIM COUNTY Election Summary Report

Unofficial Results August 4 2026 Primary

482KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

Democrats believe it puts unnecessary burdens on citizens and is not needed whatsoever. It becomes a way to harass the citizenship.

Rather than solve a problem, it creates a problem.

Click on the image to read the post from the Bipartisan Policy Center.

This is important—Conservation minded candidates are essential !

Go to Antrimcd.org to carefully read information on the election and read the bios of those in the running for Board Positions.

Antrim Conservation District (ACD) office: 77915 Cameron Street Central Lake, MI
231-533-8363 Ext 3 (ask to speak to Alexander Xander)

Ways to Vote: The best way to vote is in person from 3-5 PM Wednesday, July 22. Call the office, talk to Xander to have a ballot mailed to you or emailed to you. Fill out ballot and return to office in person or mail it in with proof of Antrim County residence.

*For information purposes only - not an endorsement for office.

PERMANENT ABSENTEE VOTING: The best way for most people to vote is by getting on the Permanent Absentee Voter Registry. You will receive your ballot automatically in the mail 45 days before each election. You then have the choice to either: Vote by mail postage-free; Put your ballot in a Dropbox; Vote in person during 9 days of early voting (Saturday through the Sunday before Election Day); or In-person on Election Day.

​By getting your ballot early, you have time to research all of the candidates and issues before voting.

​Apply at: Michigan.gov/vote. Be sure to check box for “Permanent.” You can also use this form to request one-time absentee voting if you will not be able to get to the polls just this year.

EARLY VOTING: Voters in Michigan can vote in-person for nine days prior to Election Day. Check with your Township Clerk or the Antrim County Clerk to confirm location as it may be different than Election Day. Hours may vary. Voting begins two Saturdays before Election Day and ends the Sunday before Election Day. No voting is conducted the Monday before Election Day except by Absentee Ballot at the Antrim County Clerk’s Office (231-533-6353) . ​

​

Township Clerk offices must be open for at least 8 hours the weekend before the Election to allow for registration and absentee voting.​

For 2026 dates and times, click here.

Where can I register to vote?

You can register at one of the following locations:

• Online at Michigan.gov/VoterRegistration;

• At a Secretary of State branch office;

• At your city or township clerk’s office or your county clerk’s office;

• At any state agency that provides public assistance or services to people with disabilities;

• Through a voter registration drive; or,

• By mailing in a completed voter registration applicationpostmarked at least 15 days before the election.

Within 14 days before the election, all applications must be submitted to your local city or township clerk’s office in person.

2026 will be a critical election year.

Here is some useful information.

Every single state House and state Senate seat is up for election in 2026. And an open governor’s race and an open U.S. Senate seat, plus the entire Michigan Congressional delegation. Then there is the open Attorney General and Secretary of State races. We will also decide whether to convene a convention to rewrite the state constitution.

​

We need candidates for the State House and for some local positions.

Contact us to learn more about how we can support you in a bid for office.

DEMOCRATIC STATE CONVENTION

Attend the State Convention on April 19, 2026 in Detroit. It is here that the Party selects its candidates for Attorney General, Secretary of State, State and University Boards of Education. Anyone who is a member of the Michigan Democratic Party at least 30 days before can vote. Join here

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY

​

• Absentee Ballots were mailed out around March 26, 2026.

• Last day to register by mail or online is April 20, 2026.

• Nine days of in-person early voting is from April 25 until May 3, 2026. (Note: You can bring in your absentee ballot and vote it in-person during early voting or on Election Day.)

• No voting on May 4

• Last day to vote is Tuesday, May 5.

• Notes: During the Primary, you can only cast votes for candidates in one Party. You can register in person at the Antrim County Clerk’s office any day including Election Day. Bring ID. If you do not have ID, you will be required to complete an Affidavit swearing to the validity of your right to vote.

GENERAL ELECTION​

• Absentee Ballots will be mailed out around Sept 19, 2026.

• Last day to register by mail or online is October 19, 2026.

• Nine days of in-person early voting is from October 24 until Nov. 1, 2026.

• No voting on Nov. 2.

• Last day to vote is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Polling hours are 7 am to 8 pm.

• ​Notes: You can bring in your absentee ballot and vote it in-person during early voting or on Election Day. You can register in person at the Antrim County Clerk’s office any day including Election Day. Bring ID and proof of residence such as a utility bill to register if registering within 2 weeks of the election. Bring ID to vote. If you do not have ID, you will be required to complete an Affidavit swearing to the validity of your identity.

Positions on the Ballot in 2026

US Senate

• Abdul El-Sayed, 2018 gubernatorial candidate

• State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who was elected to the Michigan Senate in 2018

• U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, who was elected to the U.S. House in 2018

US House - First District

• Callie Barr

• Kyle Blomquist

• Wayne Stiles

Governor

• Jocelyn Benson

• Garlin Gilchrist II

• Kevin Hogan

• Marni Sawicki

• Chris Swanson​

Secretary of State

Barbara Byrum

Aghogho Edevbie

Adam Hollier

Attorney General

• Karen McDonald

• Eli Savit

• Mark Totten

State House (104th and 105th Districts)

State Senate (37th District)

Various Judges, School Boards, Township Boards

Various Ballot initiatives

LET’S KEEP IN TOUCH

Please remember to contact your United States Senators and thank them for their tireless and brave service! And call your United States Representative Jack Bergman and remind him that we are his constituents and he is being mute in a time of serious crisis.

Click on their name for contact information.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin Sen. Gary Peters Rep. Jack Bergman