The Hannah Community Center on Abbot Road is a polling site. (ELi file photo)

ELi’s Voter Guide for the 2023 City Council Election

This article was originally published on Sept. 16, 2023, and was republished on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, with updated information about the forum video now being available.

The Nov. 7 East Lansing City Council election is rapidly approaching and ELi has prepared a voter guide to help inform residents on what to expect on the ballot.

Who is running for Council?

Voters will choose three candidates from a field of eight to serve alongside George Brookover and Dana Watson on City Council. To help readers get to know candidates better, ELi has written profiles of the candidates and what they plan to do if elected.

The candidates are:

Candidates for the three open seats on the East Lansing City Council are: 1 Erik Altmann; 2 Noel Garcia; 3 Christopher Wardell; 4 Rebecca Kasen; 5 Dan Bollman; 6 Kerry Ebersole Singh; 7 Mark Meadows; 8 Joshua Ramirez-Roberts.

Erik Altmann

A former Mayor Pro Tem who served on Council from 2015-2019, Altmann hopes to reclaim a seat on Council. His first term was marked by rapid development in the downtown area and, if elected, his goals include restocking city staff and addressing environmental problems.

Noel Garcia

Appointed earlier this year after Lisa Babcock left Council to fill a judgeship position at the 54B District Court, Garcia will look to retain his seat. Garcia has more than 25 years of law enforcement experience and sees public safety as a top priority.

Christopher Wardell

Wardell has experience as a legislative aide, journalist and nonprofit organization board member. He hopes to bring a fresh perspective to Council that will restore public faith in the body.

Rebecca Kasen

Kasen has been outspoken at Council meetings over the last several months, sharing her views on everything from discourse around the city to potential charter amendments. If elected, Kasen said she hopes to serve as a “microphone” for the community.

Dan Bollman

An East Lansing Planning Commissioner since 2015, Bollman brings in-depth knowledge of projects in the city. His top priorities on Council would be to refill vacancies in the city workforce and increase neighborhood inclusivity.

Kerry Ebersole Singh

Ebersole Singh was partially motivated to run by her belief that the government’s purpose is still to serve the people. As a member of Council, she would look to improve resident’s lives by stabilizing city government and supporting economic development.

Mark Meadows

Meadows’ experience in East Lansing government stretches back more than three decades. The former mayor hopes his past achievements and goal to restock the city workforce sway voters to elect him once again.

Joshua Ramirez-Roberts

The youngest candidate in the field, Ramirez-Roberts has already served on the University Student Commission and Bailey Community Association. On Council, he would aim to be transparent with his decision making and work collaboratively with nearby communities.

Who will serve as Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem?

The City Charter instructs the five members of Council to elect a Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem amongst themselves. Given current Mayor Ron Bacon and Mayor Pro Tem Jessy Gregg are not seeking reelection, Council will have two new highest ranking members.

One voter forum remains before the November election.

Voters will have  one more opportunity to get to know candidates and see them engage with one another. The Associated Students of Michigan State University is holding a Council “debate/forum” 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 3, in the International Center on the MSU campus.

You can read coverage of the Sept. 14 City Council candidate forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Lansing Area here. Here is a link to the video of the event. ELi was a co-sponsor of the forum.

What else is on the ballot?

There are three ballot initiatives regarding elections that are expected to be on the ballot this November. Ballot initiatives are proposals that will be implemented if they are supported by a majority of East Lansing voters.

One would push the swearing-in date of Council members back to comply with state law and allow proper time for canvassing after local elections. Another would increase the size of Council from five to seven members.

The third ballot initiative reached the ballot by citizen petition. It would institute ranked-choice voting in city elections and allow Council to call for a special election to fill Council vacancies.

Initially, it appeared as though there would also be a ballot initiative moving Council elections from odd- to even-numbered years. While Council voted in favor of that initiative, it was struck down by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office and will not be on the ballot.

How do you register or get an absentee ballot? And what about early voting?

The best place to find overall information on the upcoming election is at the City Clerk’s website.

Absentee ballots will be available beginning Sept. 28. Voters who did not receive an application for an absentee ballot but would like one, may request an application from the City Clerk’s Office either in person or by phone at (517) 319-6914 or go online to the Michigan Voter Information Center.

Additionally, Proposition 2022-2 ensures Michigan voters the constitutional right to nine days of early voting. Although the law does not go into effect until the 2024 presidential primary, the City of East Lansing is piloting an Early Voting Center (EVC) in late October. More details about the EVC are to come.

Editor’s note: This story was updated Monday, Sept. 25, 2023.