Eaton County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
12 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot across 7 Eaton County races, led by the Michigan Senate District 21 contest.
County offices
SheriffMike Atayan
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Mike Atayan is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Eaton County Sheriff.
Mike Atayan
About Mike Atayan
Listed from official election filings. The Ballot Brief has not yet researched a profile for this candidate; confirm the race and candidate with the official election office linked at the bottom of this page.
CommissionerChris Arndt
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Chris Arndt is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Eaton County Commissioner.
Chris Arndt
About Chris Arndt
Listed from official election filings. The Ballot Brief has not yet researched a profile for this candidate; confirm the race and candidate with the official election office linked at the bottom of this page.
By address
These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.
Eaton County is split across 4 Michigan House districts.
Find your districts by addressMichigan House: 4 districtsDistricts 43, 76, 77, 78
Michigan House District 43Alan Swank (D) · Rachelle Smit (R)
Alan Swank Democratic
Alan Swank is the Democratic nominee for Michigan House District 43 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Michigan Secretary of State's official August 4, 2026 primary results. No campaign website was found as of 2026-09-12.
Rachelle Smit Republican Incumbent
Rachelle Smit is the sitting state representative for the 43rd House District, covering most of Allegan County plus parts of Barry, Eaton, and Ottawa counties, elected in November 2022, per Michigan House Republicans official caucus page. Smit was unanimously elected speaker pro tempore for the 2025-26 legislative session and previously served seven years as Martin Township clerk, per Michigan House Republicans official caucus page. No campaign website was found as of 2026-09-12.
Alan Swank (Democratic), Rachelle Smit (Republican) are on the November 3 ballot for Michigan House District 43; Rachelle Smit is the sitting member, per the Michigan House of Representatives's official roster (gophouse.org). Nominees were chosen at the August 4, 2026 primary, per the Michigan Secretary of State's official results; Michigan prints unopposed candidates rather than deeming them elected. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageMichigan House District 76Angela Witwer (D) · Bill Kaiser (R)
Angela Witwer Democratic Incumbent
- tax policy affecting small businesses and families
- support for local agriculture
- public education funding
Per the campaign site.
About Angela Witwer
Angela Witwer is the sitting state representative for Michigan House District 76, covering Eaton County, per the campaign site. She is a small-business owner and a former member of the Waverly Schools board, per the campaign site. She has served on the House Agriculture Committee for two terms and sponsored legislation repealing the state pension tax, per the campaign site.
Bill Kaiser Republican
- Lowering taxes and supporting small businesses
- Expanding school choice and skilled trades programs
Per the campaign site.
About Bill Kaiser
Bill Kaiser is a U.S. Army veteran and small business owner who ran All Weather Mechanical Inc. for 16 years, with more than 35 years total in the construction and HVAC industries, per his campaign site. He also started a community Victory Garden project supporting more than 20 families, per the same source. Kaiser is the Republican candidate for Michigan House District 76 in the 2026 general election.
Angela Witwer (Democratic), Bill Kaiser (Republican) are on the November 3 ballot for Michigan House District 76; Angela Witwer is the sitting member, per the Michigan House of Representatives's official roster (housedems.com). Nominees were chosen at the August 4, 2026 primary, per the Michigan Secretary of State's official results; Michigan prints unopposed candidates rather than deeming them elected. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageMichigan House District 77Emily Dievendorf (D) · Sally Jo Nelton (R)
Emily Dievendorf Democratic Incumbent
- Growing the economy fairly for everyone
- Better supporting the needs of every student in schools
- Making government accessible and accountable to everyone
Per the campaign site.
About Emily Dievendorf
Emily Dievendorf is the Democratic nominee for Michigan House District 77 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Michigan Secretary of State's official August 4, 2026 primary results. Emily Dievendorf is a sitting member for the district, per the Michigan House of Representatives's official roster (housedems.com). Dievendorf has more than 20 years of leadership, organizing and advocacy experience focused on LGBTQIA equality, racial justice, and ending domestic and sexual violence, according to her campaign site. She is the sitting state representative for the 77th District, per the Michigan House Democrats caucus, and is seeking reelection.
Sally Jo Nelton Republican
Sally Jo Nelton is the Republican nominee for Michigan House District 77 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Michigan Secretary of State's official August 4, 2026 primary results. Nelton is the certified Republican nominee for the 77th District, per the Michigan Republican Party. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026.
Emily Dievendorf (Democratic), Sally Jo Nelton (Republican) are on the November 3 ballot for Michigan House District 77; Emily Dievendorf is the sitting member, per the Michigan House of Representatives's official roster (housedems.com). Nominees were chosen at the August 4, 2026 primary, per the Michigan Secretary of State's official results; Michigan prints unopposed candidates rather than deeming them elected. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageMichigan House District 78Rachel Gross (D) · Brandon L. Strong (R)
Rachel Gross Democratic
- Support farmers and small businesses
- Invest in education and infrastructure
- Expand rural health care access
Per the campaign site.
About Rachel Gross
Rachel Gross is the Democratic nominee for Michigan House District 78 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Michigan Secretary of State's official August 4, 2026 primary results. Gross describes herself as a daughter of rural Michigan and centers her campaign on rural communities, per votegross.com.
Brandon L. Strong Republican
- Educational freedom and parental rights
- Fiscal responsibility and local workforce development
Per the campaign site.
About Brandon L. Strong
Brandon Strong is the executive director of Barry County Christian Schools with more than 20 years of experience as a teacher, administrator and school leader, according to his campaign site, including stints as a high school principal in North Dakota and a special education teacher in Wyoming. He serves as board chairman of the Barry County Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Alliance.
Rachel Gross (Democratic), Brandon L. Strong (Republican) are on the November 3 ballot for Michigan House District 78. Not on the November ballot: Gina Johnsen, the sitting member per the roster. Nominees were chosen at the August 4, 2026 primary, per the Michigan Secretary of State's official results; Michigan prints unopposed candidates rather than deeming them elected. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageMichigan Senate District 21Sarah Anthony (D) · Josh Burns (R)
Sarah Anthony Democratic Incumbent
- Has championed legislation aimed at protecting worker benefits and making life more affordable for Michigan families
- Secured funding for parks and outdoor recreation projects in Eaton and Ingham counties
Per the Senate Democrats caucus page.
About Sarah Anthony
Sarah Anthony is the sitting state senator for Michigan's 21st Senate district, confirmed by the official senate.michigan.gov roster, per Michigan Senate official site / Senate Democrats caucus page. No campaign website was found as of 2026-09-12.
Josh Burns Republican
- Opposes property taxes and supports restoring private property ownership rights
- Supports school choice, saying education funding should follow the student to the school or program that serves them best
- Supports cutting state spending and reducing bureaucracy
Per the campaign site.
About Josh Burns
Josh Burns is a candidate for Michigan State Senate District 21, per his campaign site.
Sarah Anthony (Democratic), Josh Burns (Republican) are on the November 3 ballot for Michigan Senate District 21; Sarah Anthony is the sitting member, per the Michigan Senate's official roster (senate.michigan.gov). Nominees were chosen at the August 4, 2026 primary, per the Michigan Secretary of State's official results; Michigan prints unopposed candidates rather than deeming them elected. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageSee your full ballot
Voting info and more
Voting info and more
Verify your ballot with the official election office.
Cross-check every race and candidate with the official election office. Official sources are the final word.
Michigan nominees were set by the August 4 primary, one per party, and meet on the November 3 ballot; county commissioners and county row officers (clerk, treasurer, sheriff, prosecutor) are elected in presidential years, so no county offices appear in 2026, and judges run without party labels, per the Secretary of State.
Who is on the ballot in Eaton County, Michigan on November 3, 2026?
Eaton County sample ballot 2026: see where the michigan senate and michigan house candidates stand on schools, jobs and taxes. Every candidate profile on this page names the official filing or campaign source it came from.
When is the 2026 general election in Michigan?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Michigan are listed on the Michigan election hub. Michigan election hub →
How do I see my exact Eaton County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup for the statewide and congressional races on every ballot in the county, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location. Look up your ballot →