Polls across Michigan closed on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, as voters cast ballots for major federal and state positions. The Associated Press has projected that Democrats will take control of the U.S. Senate following the election. This outcome stands in contrast to the Michigan Senate race between Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers, which remains undecided as of late Tuesday night. With 36.3% of the vote counted, El-Sayed leads with 50.39% of the total compared to 47.72% for Rogers.
In the U.S. House of Representatives, several races were called for both parties. The AP projected that Republican Lisa McClain won re-election in Michigan's 9th Congressional District. Additionally, Republican Rep. Tim Walberg secured re-election in Michigan's 5th Congressional District. On the Democratic side, Rep. Rashida Tlaib won re-election in the 12th District, and Rep. Debbie Dingell won re-election in the 6th District. Democrat Donavan McKinney also won the election in Michigan's 13th Congressional District after defeating incumbent Rep. Shri Thanedar in the primary. Republican Rep. John Moolenaar retained his seat in Michigan's 2nd Congressional District.
Voters also made decisions on two significant ballot proposals. The AP projected that Proposal 2 will pass. This citizen-led initiative would restrict campaign contributions from regulated utility companies and government contractors. Conversely, the AP projected that Proposal 1 will fail. This proposal, which is required to appear on the ballot every 16 years, asked voters whether they wanted to convene a constitutional convention.
The Michigan Secretary of State's Office provided updates throughout the day regarding voter turnout and absentee ballot statistics. By 5:30 p.m., 2,190,252 absentee ballots had been requested, with 1,807,696 returned. This figure represents 86% of the requested absentee ballots. Earlier in the day, at 3 p.m., the office reported 2,188,613 requests and 1,776,490 returned ballots. The office noted that there were 5,728 same-day registrations by that time, a lower number than the 15,737 recorded in 2022 and the 21,882 recorded in 2024.
Officials described the day as having strong turnout with fast-moving lines. At 1 p.m., the Secretary of State's office reported that turnout was climbing steadily. They also addressed reports of Department of Justice monitors in two cities acting outside their scope. In Dearborn, monitors reportedly asked poll workers for copies of training materials, while in Flint, they inquired about how workers were trained. The state noted that monitors are generally limited to observing the voting process and contacting the precinct captain.
A notable incident occurred at Gibraltar-Carlson High School in Wayne County, which serves as a polling location for precincts 8 and 11. A bomb threat was called in to the school, prompting a police evacuation and a sweep by Brownstown Township, Gibraltar, and the Wayne County Sheriff's Office. Voting temporarily moved outside while officials conducted the search. The threat was later declared unfounded, and police cleared the school. The Secretary of State's office stated that there was minimal impact on voting because the clerk established an alternate site.
In Dearborn, local attention also turned to a school bond proposal. This initiative aims to replace expiring city bonds to generate $1.5 billion toward building renovations across the district. Reporter Tony Geftos was on the ground in the city gauging voter turnout for this specific measure.
The election day coverage included various updates from 7 a.m. when polls opened, through the evening when results began to roll in. The Associated Press provided the final projections for the major federal races, confirming the shift in Senate control and the outcomes in multiple congressional districts.
