Michigan's 2026 midterm election: Follow the latest updates

Trump-endorsed Michael Bouchard and attorney Christina Hines are going head-to-head to win Michigan's 10th congressional district and replace Republican Congressman John James, who is running for governor.

The district, which is a two-year term, covers several communities in parts of Macomb and Oakland counties. If Hines is elected, it will be the first time a Democrat is elected to the 10th district since David Bonior in 1993.

A member of the Army National Guard, Bouchard graduated from Michigan State University's ROTC program and served in the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, according to his website. Bouchard's father, also named Michael Bouchard, is currently serving his seventh term as the Oakland County sheriff.

Bouchard defeated Justin Kirk and Steffan Demetropoulos in the Republican primary.

Hines worked as a prosecutor after graduating from the University of Michigan and earning a degree from Wayne State University Law School. Hines ran unsuccessfully for the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office in 2024, losing to incumbent Peter Lucido.

Hines defeated Eric Chung and former Pontiac Mayor Tim Greimel in the Democratic primary election.

Democratic Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens defended her decision to endorse Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers, saying it was "not impulsive."

In a social media post on Monday, Stevens said the decision was her own and pointed to being shut out after endorsing her primary election opponent, Abdul El-Sayed. Stevens, who narrowly lost El-Sayed in August, also pointed to controversial campaign ads that she said tied Israel to grocery prices and El-Sayed's alliance with left-wing streamer Hasan Piker.

"Reasonable people can disagree about Israel, Gaza, and American foreign policy. But blaming Israel for the price of eggs and elevating Tucker Carlson are not the way to build trust or bring people together," Stevens said.  

The endorsement comes after Stevens initially endorsed El-Sayed after the primary. However, things began to shift when Stevens called on El-Sayed to condemn the ads. El-Sayed distanced himself from the ad and Piker, and accused Stevens of relitigating a primary that ended three months ago.

Stevens acknowledged that El-Sayed condemned Piker's controversial remarks, but said his decision to work with him in the first place "raised serious questions about his judgment and his ability to bring people together."

Stevens' endorsement of Rogers drew criticism from Democratic leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell.    

Michigan law permits residents to register to vote and then vote on the same day. 

If you wait until Election Day to register to vote, you must apply in person at the city or township clerk's office that runs your election. 

Same-day registration can be completed in person up until 8 p.m. local time on Election Day. This is the time when the polls close. Most of Michigan is in the Eastern time zone; however, four counties in the Upper Peninsula are in the Central time zone.

Learn more about same-day voter registration in Michigan. 

"I Voted" stickers have been a tradition for decades at U.S. polling sites, but the State of Michigan certainly picked a winning idea by creating a sticker design contest. 

The Michigan Secretary of State hosted a statewide contest in 2024 and did so again this year. This year's series featured nine unique ways to proclaim one's "I Voted" spirit. 

Call-outs on social media asking voters to share pictures of their chosen designs have ranged from the Michigan Secretary of State's office to Waterford Township in Oakland County. The popular designs from the 2026 series include a Superman-colored ice cream cone, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald freighter and a "No, yeah, I voted" slogan surrounded by Michigan-themed images. 

A few communities in the state also distributed their own local designs.

Regardless of how the election turns out, Michigan will get a new governor on Jan. 1.

The current governor, Gretchen Whitmer, is term-limited and unable to run again. The field of candidates was a large one, and five names made it to the Nov. 3 ballot: Jocelyn Benson (Democratic Party), John James (Republican Party), Anthony Hudson (Libertarian Party), Donna Brandenburg (U.S. Taxpayers Party) and Douglas Campbell (Green Party) are competing to fill the position of the state's top job.

The top two contenders are Benson, who is term-limited as Michigan's Secretary of State, and James, who decided to run for this office rather than another term as the representative for Michigan's 10th congressional district.

Michigan voters head to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 3, with gubernatorial, U.S. Senate and U.S. House races highlighting this year's midterm election. 

State House and state Senate races, as well as two statewide proposals, city council and commission races, and municipal and school district proposals, will also appear on ballots across the area.   

Click here for a look at what's on the ballot in Southeast Michigan. 

Polling locations officially opened at 7 a.m. local time on Tuesday for voters to cast their ballots in person. Voters also have the option to return their absentee ballots on Election Day at their precinct.  

By 7 a.m. Tuesday, 32.9% of Michigan's active registered voters had cast ballots, according to state data, as Election Day began. That number includes 750,469 people who voted early in person this election. Most early voting sites closed Sunday. 

During the 2024 presidential election, more than 1.2 million people voted early in person.  

Click here to see when polls close on Tuesday and how to find your polling location.