Capital News Service

Future of ballot initiatives uncertain

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LANSING — For the first time since 1968, Michigan voters this year didn’t face a statewide ballot question when they cast their votes in the presidential election. In 2012, voters turned down all six ballot questions they saw. Only 1968 with eight and 1980 with seven had more. “The ridiculous thing to me,” said Dana Nessel, president of Fair Michigan, which tried to get sexual orientation and gender protections into the state constitution, “I kept hearing that there were going to be too many ballot initiatives” in 2016. Experts told her voters wouldn’t know what to do with so many ballot questions, so they would just vote “no” on all of them, she said.

Capital News Service

Dozens of new sheriffs will take office in January

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LANSING — In 139 years, Michigan has never had more new sheriffs than the state will get after the 2016 fall election. At least 26 counties will get new top cops in January. The Michigan Sheriffs’ Association said that’s a record since it was formed in 1877. Some are running unopposed. In other counties, two newcomers are running.

Elections & Politics

Loud voices, louder messages heard at Trump’s last rally

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GRAND RAPIDS — The 11th hour of the presidential campaign included a visit by Republican candidate Donald Trump to the downtown convention center — just after the clock struck midnight. The supporters on the street were chanting for hours up until his visit, some even waited three hours and stood in a line two miles long. Trump said in his speech to supporters at the Devos Center that he’ll win Michigan — but protestors outside told a different story. They said a Trump presidency would be harmful to the people who have been targeted by Trump’s derogatory remarks throughout the election. If Trump was to win the Mitten State in today’s election, he’d be the first Republican to do so since 1988 when George H. Bush was elected president.