Vote No on Proposal A
- Proposal A eliminates the August primary and leaves only the November general election for Ypsilanti City Council. Without information from the primary, it's harder for voters to understand candidates, easier for insiders to shape outcomes, and more likely that winners emerge from a crowded field without broad support.
- Proposal A eliminates the Democratic and Republican partisan labels. Removing party labels from city council candidates favors voters already plugged into local political networks and penalizes voters without inside connections and information.
Ypsilanti Elected Officials Voting NO on Proposal A
Dr. Cheryl Farmer, Ypsilanti Mayor 1995 - 2006
Dr. Cheryl Farmer, Ypsilanti Mayor 1995 - 2006
Dr. Cheryl Farmer, Ypsilanti Mayor 1995 - 2006
"Our partisan system works. I was elected Ypsilanti mayor in 1995, 1998, and 2002 as an Independent. In 1989, Clyde King won the mayoral race as a Republican against Democrat Pete Murdock. While people and political parties evolve, we must strive to preserve our primaries and keep our partisan labels intact. That’s why I am voting NO on Proposal A"
Nicole Brown, Ypsilanti Mayor 2022 - Present
Dr. Cheryl Farmer, Ypsilanti Mayor 1995 - 2006
Dr. Cheryl Farmer, Ypsilanti Mayor 1995 - 2006
"Ypsilanti already has a very diverse city council with partisan elections. Why change?
I will be voting No on Proposal A."
Paul Schreiber, Ypsilanti Mayor 2006 - 2014
Dr. Cheryl Farmer, Ypsilanti Mayor 1995 - 2006
Barry LaRue, Former Ward 3 Ypsilanti City Council Member 1991 - 1995, 1998 - 2006
“Proposal A is a step backwards for voter information. In a standalone November city council election, Ypsilanti voters will be inundated by state and county campaigns without crucial insights for city council elections from the August primaries. Vote NO on Proposal A.”
Barry LaRue, Former Ward 3 Ypsilanti City Council Member 1991 - 1995, 1998 - 2006
Annie Somerville, Ypsilanti County Commissioner 2024 - Present, Ward 3 City Council 2019 - 2022
Barry LaRue, Former Ward 3 Ypsilanti City Council Member 1991 - 1995, 1998 - 2006
"Before 1973, Ypsilanti had non-partisan elections, which often masked a candidate's position on key issues and led to the election of individuals primarily based on name recognition. The current system, including primary elections, is effective as it stands.”
Annie Somerville, Ypsilanti County Commissioner 2024 - Present, Ward 3 City Council 2019 - 2022
Annie Somerville, Ypsilanti County Commissioner 2024 - Present, Ward 3 City Council 2019 - 2022
Annie Somerville, Ypsilanti County Commissioner 2024 - Present, Ward 3 City Council 2019 - 2022
"As an elected Democrat of the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners, I believe voters should know the party affiliation of the individuals they vote for at the local level.
I am voting NO on Proposal A to preserve primaries in Ypsilanti."
Steve Wilcoxen, Ward 2 Ypsilanti City Council Member 2018 - Present
Annie Somerville, Ypsilanti County Commissioner 2024 - Present, Ward 3 City Council 2019 - 2022
Annie Somerville, Ypsilanti County Commissioner 2024 - Present, Ward 3 City Council 2019 - 2022
"Plurality voting has long left many voters unrepresented, and Proposal A, which aims to introduce non-partisan elections, does not adequately address this issue. By eliminating partisan primaries without embracing a more effective voting method, it risks electing candidates with only a minimal share of total votes. I do not support Proposal A, as it fails to preserve our primaries and does not provide an effective solution for non-primary elections."
Patrick McLean, Ward 2 Ypsilanti City Council Member 2024 - Present
Bill Nickels, Former Ward 2 Ypsilanti City Council Member 1998 - 2010
Bill Nickels, Former Ward 2 Ypsilanti City Council Member 1998 - 2010
"I strongly oppose Proposal A. This Ypsilanti ballot measure paves the way for extremist candidates to win elections with only 15% or 20% of the vote, which undermines the principles of non-partisan elections."
Bill Nickels, Former Ward 2 Ypsilanti City Council Member 1998 - 2010
Bill Nickels, Former Ward 2 Ypsilanti City Council Member 1998 - 2010
Bill Nickels, Former Ward 2 Ypsilanti City Council Member 1998 - 2010
"Political party primaries require city council candidates identify the political party they
most identify with – Democratic, Republican, or Independent – giving candidate
transparency to the voter. Vote NO on Proposal A to preserve transparency."
Ann Arbor Voters Defeated Their Non-Primary Ballot Proposal
In 2024, Ann Arbor Rejected Non-Primary, Non-Partisan City Council Elections 72% to 28%
"With all precincts fully counted, the proposal for non-partisan elections in [Ann Arbor] saw 16,330 votes in favor but 42,929 votes against it, resulting in 72% opposing the measure. This outcome is significant as it reflects public sentiment on non-primary elections, especially in the context of the Preserve Our Primaries campaign and the recent Ypsilanti ballot measure related to the Ypsilanti Charter Amendment."
The Michigan Daily Opposed Ann Arbor Non-Primary City Council Elections
"[Ann Arbor] Proposal C would implement nonpartisan city elections and remove the August primary for Ann Arbor’s mayoral and city council races. Many Michigan municipalities have adopted the measure concerning nonpartisan elections, but almost none have adopted the [non-primary] plan. Ann Arbor should not be the exception. While the Editorial Board does not take particular issue with nonpartisan elections, removing the primary process would create election chaos as an unlimited number of candidates vie for a small number of offices."
Partisan City Elections Provide More Information
Should Local Elections Become Openly Partisan?
Ypsilanti's Proposal A is a Clone of Ann Arbor's 2024 Proposal C
2026 Academic Research on Partisan vs. Non-Partisan Elections
Many local races are nonpartisan only in a technical sense and party labels indeed offer actionable information for most voters. People in local government like to view themselves as problem solvers fulfilling no mission other than serving their own communities. There’s no Republican or Democratic way to pick up the trash, they’ll often say. That’s clearly nonsense. A Republican administration is more likely to contract out trash pickup, while Democrats are more likely to employ unionized workers. “There’s very little social science research that nonpartisan elections contribute to good government.
2026 Academic Research on Partisan vs. Non-Partisan Elections
Ypsilanti's Proposal A is a Clone of Ann Arbor's 2024 Proposal C
2026 Academic Research on Partisan vs. Non-Partisan Elections
"Although nonpartisan elections weaken the association between party identification and local vote choice, they do not strengthen the association between local policy attitudes and vote choice."
Ypsilanti's Proposal A is a Clone of Ann Arbor's 2024 Proposal C
Ypsilanti's Proposal A is a Clone of Ann Arbor's 2024 Proposal C
Ypsilanti's Proposal A is a Clone of Ann Arbor's 2024 Proposal C
Proposal A is a clone of Ann Arbor's doomed Proposal C. Help us preserve our primaries and party labels. Don't take information away from Ypsilanti voters.
Vote NO on Ypsilanti City Proposal A.