Daily Brew: December 9, 2025
Welcome to the Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, Brew.
By: Lara Bonatesta
Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:
- Michigan voters could decide on four citizen initiatives on elections, voting, and taxes in 2026
- Ballotpedia’s seventh annual Holiday Cookie Election is back!
- Democrats gained appointment power for two state financial offices as a result of the 2025 elections
Michigan voters could decide on four citizen initiatives on elections, voting, and taxes in 2026
Proponents of four citizen initiatives, including three constitutional amendments and one state statute, have filed with the Michigan Board of State Canvassers to collect signatures to qualify for the 2026 ballot. Three initiatives address elections or voting, while one addresses tax policy.
Here’s a look at what each initiative would do.
Election-related measures
Citizenship requirement: As we mentioned in our Dec. 5 edition of the Daily Brew, proponents of an amendment that would require citizenship verification for all voters through a statewide program, document submission, or provisional voting are currently gathering signatures. Click here to see our previous coverage of that measure.
Ranked-choice voting (RCV): Rank MI Vote submitted an amendment that would require RCV in most congressional, state, and local elections. Three states use RCV statewide: Alaska and Maine use it in some congressional and statewide elections, and Hawaii uses it for certain statewide elections. Seventeen states prohibit RCV.
Campaign finance: Michiganders for Money Out of Politics submitted a statute that would prohibit certain organizations and individuals—such as regulated electric and gas utilities, contractors with more than $250,000 annually in government contracts, and people and organizations with substantial connections to those utilities or contractors—from making direct or indirect contributions to those who run for office. It would also establish additional regulations on campaign finance.
Tax policy measure
Invest in MI Kids submitted an amendment that would require a 5% tax on annual taxable income of more than $1 million for joint returns (and $500,000 for single returns), with the proceeds allocated to public school districts.
Process and context
For the three constitutional amendments, petitioners must submit 446,198 valid signatures by July 6, 2026, to qualify for the ballot. For the state statute, petitioners must submit 356,958 signatures by May 27, 2026. Initiated state statutes are indirect in Michigan. This means that if enough valid signatures are submitted, the measure would go to the Legislature first. If the Legislature does not approve it, it will go on the ballot.
Michigan voters have decided a total of 102 citizen initiatives in the state’s history. They have approved 36 (35%) and have defeated 66 (65%).
The last two initiatives to appear on Michigan's statewide ballot were Proposal 2, which changed voting policies in Michigan, including requiring voters to present photo ID or sign an affidavit, and Proposal 3, which created a state constitutional right to abortion. Voters approved both initiatives.
Click here to learn more about Michigan’s 2026 ballot measures.
Ballotpedia’s seventh annual Holiday Cookie Election is back!
We are stocking up on flour, breaking out the sprinkles, and dusting off the cookie cutters. ‘Tis the season for holiday cookies! Do you have a favorite cookie, maybe one to pair with a cup of cocoa? We will refrain from endorsements because it is time to elect this year’s official holiday cookie!
Due to increased cookie candidates over the past few years, we will once again hold both a primary and a general election in order to narrow the field.
Primary voters will pick their top three candidates from the full field of eight. The top three vote-getters will advance to the general election. Polls open today, Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 8 am ET through Friday, Dec. 12, at 5 pm ET.
As a Daily Brew reader, we know you strive to be an informed voter, so we have gathered the candidate profiles in preparation for the election. Here’s who’s on the ballot:
- Sugar Cookie
- Chocolate chip cookie
- Chocolate peppermint bark cookie
- Gingerbread cookie
- Peanut butter blossom
- Snickerdoodle
- Thumbprint cookie
- Oatmeal raisin
Sugar Cookie won our 2024 cookie election with 29.5% of the vote.
The winners in previous years were:
2023: Chocolate Chip Cookie
2022: Gingerbread Cookie
2021: Chocolate Chip Cookie (Elected after voters recalled Sugar Cookie)
2020: Sugar Cookie
2019: Cookie Chip Cookie
Polls will be open for the general election on Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 8 am ET through Friday, Dec. 19, at 5pm ET.
Democrats gained appointment power for two state financial offices as a result of the 2025 elections
As a result of this year's gubernatorial elections, Democrats are likely to gain control of two state financial officer positions, both in Virginia, as Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger (D) will appoint replacements for Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R) appointees.
Heading into the elections, Republicans held 60 state financial offices and Democrats held 40. In Virginia, Spanberger will be able to appoint her choices for the offices of Virginia treasurer and comptroller, both of which currently have Republican appointees. A Democrat already held the position of auditor.
State financial officers include the offices of auditors, comptrollers, and treasurers. States may have different names for these offices, but they are typically responsible for conducting audits, investing state retirement funds, and overseeing government pensions. Voters sometimes elect these offices, and other times they are appointed.
In New Jersey and Virginia, either the governor or the state legislature appoints the positions of auditor, treasurer, and controller.
- Forty-eight states have auditors. Auditors are elected in 24 states and appointed in the other 24.
- Forty-eight states have treasurers. Treasurers are elected in 36 states and appointed in 12.
- Twenty-one states have controllers, also known as comptrollers. Controllers are elected in 10 states and appointed in 11.
State financial officers are a state executive office. They are one of several types of offices affected by gubernatorial elections.Click here to learn more about the partisan balance of state financial offices as a result of the 2025 elections.
