Michigan Secretary of State Race 2026 Voter Guide

Website: https://jocelynbenson.com/ Current Job: State of Michigan Job Title: Secretary of State Age: 48 Date of Birth: 10/22/1977 City: Detroit County: Wayne

Jocelyn Benson, Michigan's current Secretary of State, is term-limited and cannot seek reelection in 2026 after serving the maximum two four-year terms. As a result, the office will be open in the next election cycle.

Benson has announced that she is running for governor, shifting her focus from election administration to a statewide executive campaign. Her decision to pursue the governorship is one reason the 2026 Secretary of State race is drawing early attention, as it marks a leadership transition in an office that plays a central role in Michigan elections and public records.

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How Long is the Term and Term Limits

• Term length: 4 years
• Term limits: 2 terms (8 years total)
• Next Election: November 2026

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What Does the Michigan Secretary of State Do?

The Michigan Secretary of State is one of the state's most important administrative and election-related offices. The role combines election oversight, business services, and record-keeping, all of which affect nearly every resident.

At a high level, the Secretary of State is responsible for:

• Overseeing elections
  • Administers statewide elections
  • Certifies election results
  • Provides guidance and oversight to local election officials
  • Helps ensure election laws and procedures are followed
• Managing voter access and registration
  • Oversees voter registration systems
  • Maintains statewide voter rolls
  • Implements election-related policies approved by law or ballot initiative
• Running Michigan's driver and vehicle services
  • Oversees driver's licenses and state ID cards
  • Manages vehicle titles, registrations, and license plates
  • Operates branch offices and online services
• Maintaining public and business records
  • Registers businesses and nonprofits
  • Oversees campaign finance and lobbying disclosures
  • Maintains official state records and filings
• Enforcing transparency and compliance
  • Administers campaign finance reporting systems
  • Ensures political committees and candidates file required disclosures
  • Makes election and finance data publicly accessible

While the office does not make laws, it plays a central role in how elections function in practice and how accessible and transparent key government services are for Michigan residents.

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What to Look for in a Michigan Secretary of State

Once you understand what the office does, the next question is: what kind of experience and leadership help someone do the job well? Because the Secretary of State primarily has an administrative and oversight role, a candidate's management ability and operational judgment matter a lot.

• Operational leadership: Experience running complex systems, large teams, or public-facing services at scale.
• Election administration knowledge: Familiarity with how elections are conducted, the role of local clerks, and how statewide guidance is implemented.
• Transparency and compliance mindset: A track record of following rules, disclosing information properly, and protecting the integrity of public reporting systems.
• Clear communication under pressure: Ability to explain processes and decisions calmly, accurately, and consistently during high-attention moments.
• Role clarity: Understanding what the office can and cannot do under Michigan law, court decisions, and voter-approved policies.
• Service delivery focus: Commitment to improving everyday services like IDs, titles, registrations, and online/branch office experiences.
• Collaboration skills: Ability to work effectively with clerks, the legislature, the governor's office, courts, and the public.

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How Michigan Picks Party Nominees for Secretary of State

Michigan doesn't hold public primaries for most statewide offices—including Secretary of State, Attorney General, Michigan Supreme Court, and state university boards. Instead, each political party selects its nominees at conventions, where credentialed delegates decide who appears on the November general election ballot.

Read, How Michigan Chooses Nominees for Statewide Offices, to learn how the process works, how early endorsements have shifted the political calendar, and how you can participate in shaping who makes it to the general election.

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What Are the Candidates Talking About?

The 2026 Secretary of State race is shaping up around a few core themes. Here's a plain-language look at where the two parties generally stand.

Election Integrity & Voter Rolls

Both parties say they want secure, accurate elections — but they mean different things. Democrats argue Michigan's elections are already secure, have withstood multiple audits, and that claims of widespread fraud are overstated. Republicans argue more needs to be done to verify voter eligibility, particularly around citizenship verification, and want a Secretary of State who will actively investigate and clean up the voter rolls.

Proof of Citizenship to Vote

This is one of the sharpest dividing lines in the race. Republican candidates generally support requiring voters to prove citizenship when registering, pointing to federal efforts like the SAVE Act. Democratic candidates say noncitizen voting is already illegal with multiple safeguards in place, and that adding documentation requirements would make it harder for eligible voters to participate.

Modernizing State Services

This one crosses party lines. Candidates on both sides say the Secretary of State's office — including branch offices, vehicle registration, and the state's campaign finance reporting system — needs to be updated and made more user-friendly. Democrats tend to frame this as expanding access and improving the experience for all residents. Republicans tend to frame it as reducing bureaucracy and streamlining operations.

Federal Overreach & State Authority

Democratic candidates have been vocal about protecting Michigan's authority to run its own elections and pushing back against federal attempts to nationalize election administration. Republican candidates are generally more aligned with the current federal administration's direction on elections.

Issues, positions, and candidates can change as the race develops. Michigan Women will continue tracking the race and sharing updates.

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Democratic Candidates

The Michigan Democratic Party will hold its endorsement convention on April 19, 2026, in Detroit, where party members will vote to back a candidate for Secretary of State from the three-person field of Garlin Gilchrist, Barb Byrum, and Suzanna Shkreli.

Garlin Gilchrest (D)