Detroiters have historically voted for Democrats in overwhelming majorities. This means that most of the competition for candidates in partisan races actually happens in the primary, within the Democratic party ballot. For many of the big races, the election is more or less decided by the time the general election happens (although there are definitely exceptions to this, and both the primary and general elections are important).
The basics
Primary elections are the chance the voters have to decide who will be nominated by each political party to run in the general election.
In a partisan race, such as for U.S. Senate or Congress, primaries narrow the field down to one candidate within each political party.
For a nonpartisan office — like judges — the primary is used to narrow the total field of candidates.
In presidential election years, there are two primaries: a presidential primary, held in February, then a primary for local and statewide races in August. The winner of a primary in Michigan will be the candidate who gets the most votes, but a candidate doesn’t need to get a majority of votes to win.
Why should I vote in a primary?
The candidate of your choice needs your support in the primary to improve their chances of being in the November general election.
This is particularly true for state and local races on your ballot in the Aug. 5 state primary. Fewer votes overall and in lower-profile races further down the ballot mean that each vote carries more weight. In 2018, about twice as many people voted in the November general election (194,260) in Detroit as voted in the August primary (100,675). In some primary races for the state Legislature, under 10,000 votes were cast. This also means that it’s easier for special interest groups or well-financed candidates to influence the election in the primary.
Lower-level races like these are important too because they are often stepping stones to higher office. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was first elected to the State House of Representatives, before going on to the State Senate, and then the governor’s mansion, where she now has a national profile.
Even if the candidate you vote for doesn’t win, your primary vote still matters. Political parties and candidates might decide to devote more or less attention and resources toward certain demographics, policies and issues based on voter turnout and primary results. Candidates who receive significant support but ultimately don’t win primary elections can sometimes still influence the winning candidate and the platform they take with them to the general election.
This guide was originally published in 2022 and updated in July 2024.
