Lansing, Michigan, City Council, Elections, and Governance Charter Amendment (2025)
| Lansing City Council, Elections, and Governance Charter Amendment | |
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| Topic Local charter amendments |
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| Type Referral |
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Lansing City Council, Elections, and Governance Charter Amendment was on the ballot as a referral in Lansing on November 4, 2025. It was approved.
A "yes" vote supported amending the Lansing City Charter to:
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A "no" vote opposed amending the Lansing City Charter. |
A simple majority was required to approve the measure.
Election results
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Lansing City Council, Elections, and Governance Charter Amendment |
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| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
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12,059 | 65.87% | ||
| No | 6,247 | 34.13% | ||
Measure Design
This charter amendment made various changes regarding the structure of the city council, election procedures, and administrative oversight. The amendment expanded the city council from eight members to nine members, while retaining the structure of one member from each ward and four elected at-large. It created a new Ward 5, and required charter-created boards that rely on ward-based appointments to be realigned accordingly. The amendment also prohibited individuals from holding public office if they are in default to the city, such as by owing unpaid taxes or fines, and disqualified individuals convicted of certain public-trust-related felonies. Additionally, the amendment modified the initiative petition process by allowing petition signatures to remain valid for one year instead of 90 days.[1]
The charter amendment provided for even-numbered year elections for city council in order to align with state law. Under the amendment, all city offices will be up for re-election at the same time every four years, starting in 2029, rather than in staggered years. Representation under the new five-ward structure was set to take effect for the 2029 election cycle, with the ward boundaries required to be adopted by 2029.[1]
The amendment expanded mayoral responsibilities, including preparing and presenting a three-year strategic plan with goals and progress reporting, and issuing additional reporting regarding city-owned property. The mayoral veto period was extended from three to nine working days, and the time for council to override a veto was lengthened. The amendment also increased the waiting period before new ordinances take effect from 14 to 30 days.[1]
The amendment established an Internal Auditor under the authority of the city council and required annual audits or financial analyses of all city departments. It also granted the city council the authority to remove the city attorney, which previously could only be done by the mayor. Additionally, the amendment provided for the creation of a public online Tax and Debt Dashboard to show how tax dollars were spent.[1]
The roles of the police chief and fire chief were also revised. Under the amendment, the police chief must be selected in consultation with, and confirmed by, the Board of Police Commissioners, and procedures were established for suspending either the police chief or fire chief. The amendment also expanded the charter’s anti-discrimination provisions, adding protections for gender identity, pregnancy and breastfeeding, HIV status, housing status, income status, and linguistic characteristics.[1]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for City Council, Elections, and Governance Charter Amendment was as follows:
| “ | Shall the Charter proposed by the Lansing Charter Commission be adopted? YES [ ] NO [ ] | ” |
Full Text
The full text of this measure is available here.
Path to the ballot
This measure was put on the ballot through a vote of the governing body of Lansing.
How to cast a vote
- See also: Voting in Michigan
See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Michigan.
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Civic Plus, "Charter Amendment Text" accessed November 5, 2025
- ↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "Frequently Asked Questions: Elections and Voting," accessed April 16, 2023
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Michigan Secretary of State, "Registering to Vote," accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed August 26, 2024
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ Michigan.gov, "Notice to Voters: Voter Identification Requirement in Effect," accessed October 7, 2025
- ↑ Kingsford Michigan, "A Guide to Voter ID/Affidavit at the Polls," accessed October 7, 2025
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