The Michigan Daily has put 

together a 2020 general election 
guide to help Ann Arbor voters 
understand what is on their ballot. 
Look below to see what options you 
have from the two major parties 
in federal and state races this 
November. 

Federal and State Elections
President and Vice President 

of the United States

Joseph R. Biden and Kamala 

Harris (D) 

Biden 
is 
the 
Democratic 

presidential nominee. The former 
Vice President served in the 
White House during the Obama 
Administration 
and 
previously 

served as a U.S. Senator from 1973-
2009.

Biden’s campaign “Build Back 

Better” plan focuses on creating 
a 
strong 
economic 
response 

to 
the 
pandemic, 
improving 

racial 
equality, 
providing 
the 

infrastructure needed for clean 
energy and reforming the country’s 
immigration laws.

Harris is the Democratic vice 

presidential nominee. She ended 
her 
personal 
presidential 
bid 

late in 2019 to endorse Biden and 
was named as his running mate 
in August. As a U.S. Senator for 
California, she is on the Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs 
Committee and the Committee on 
the Judiciary, among others. 

She previously served as an 

assistant district attorney and later 
became the Attorney General of 
California. 

Donald J. Trump and Mike 

Pence (R)

Trump 
is 
the 
Republican 

presidential nominee and 45th 
president of the United States. A 
businessman, Trump is the first 
president to be elected without 
prior 
military 
or 
government 

experience. 

Trump’s “Make America Great 

Again” campaign is focusing on 
building a strong economy and 
lowering taxes. Since the start 
of 
the 
coronavirus 
pandemic, 

however, the economy has suffered 
as small businesses around the 
country have closed and millions of 
people have lost their jobs. Trump 
recently 
contracted 
COVID-19 

himself but has since recovered.

The Trump campaign has also 

been 
vocal 
about 
introducing 

harsher 
immigration 
policies, 

particularly on the southern border. 

Pence 
is 
the 
Republican 

Presidential 
nominee 
and 
is 

the 48th vice president of the 
United 
States. 
He 
previously 

represented Indiana in the House 
of Representatives from 2001-2013 
and was the Governor of Indiana 
from 2013-2017. 

U.S. Senate
Gary Peters (D)
Peters is a lifetime Michigan 

resident seeking reelection to the 
Senate. He is finishing his first 
term in the Senate where he was 
ranked the fourth most effective of 
all Democratic Senators.

Peters previously served in the 

U.S. House for three terms. After 
serving in the U.S. Navy Reserve 
for more than a decade, Peters is the 
ranking member on the Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs 
Committee and also sits on the 
Armed Services Committee. Peters 
is focused on strengthening the 
Michigan economy, protecting the 
Great Lakes and national security. 

In an interview with The 

Daily this summer, Peters said 
that protecting the Affordable 
Care Act, promoting affordable 
higher education, tackling racial 
inequality and a public-health 
informed COVID-19 response are 
at the top of his agenda. 

John James (R) 
A University of Michigan alum, 

veteran and business owner, John 
James will be challenging Peters 
in November, facing a Democratic 
incumbent for the second time 
after challenging current U.S. 
Senator Debbie Stabenow in the 
2018 election.

James’ campaign is unique, as 

he is the only Black Republican 
running for a seat in the Senate 
in this election cycle and he has 
received 
national 
recognition 

for his tremendous fundraising 
campaign. He has faced criticism 
for his support for the president, 
but has declined to disavow Trump. 
James is focused on building 
an 
innovation-driven 
economy 

by cutting regulation, securing 
borders to protect national security 
and utilizing incentives for private 
corporations to limit pollution and 
protect the environment. 

U.S. House of Representatives
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D) 
Dingell is seeking reelection 

to the United States House of 
Representatives. 
The 
Dingell 

family has held office in Michigan’s 
12th congressional district for more 
than 80 years. She was preceded by 
her late husband John Dingell Jr. 
and his father John Dingell Sr. 

Dingell serves on the House 

Committee 
on 
Energy 
and 

Commerce 
and 
the 
House 

Committee on Natural Resources. 
She has long been an advocate 
for liberal causes from accessible 
health care to the environment. 

Jeff Jones (R)
Jones is challenging Dingell as a 

Republican. Jones currently serves 
as a pastor and works in financial 
services at MassMutual. Jones has 
challenged Dingell in the past three 
election cycles and is focused on 
reforming the health care system, 
improving veterans affairs and 
senior care this election cycle and, 
if elected, wants to break from the 
status-quo of politics to transform 
policy to work more effectively for 
12th district residents. 

Michigan 
House 
of 

Representatives, 53rd District 

Rep. Yousef Rabhi (D) 
Rabhi 
is 
the 
Democratic 

Floor Leader in the Michigan 
House of Representatives and is 
currently serving his second term 
representing the 53rd State House 
district. He has been a consistent 
progressive 
voice 
in 
Lansing, 

advocating 
for 
single-payer 

universal 
healthcare, 
enacting 

Green New Deal policies at the state 
level and reversing cuts to funding 
for public schools and universities.

Jean Holland (R) 
Rabhi’s 
challenger 
Holland 

works 
professionally 
in 
IT 

consulting and as a software 
developer and engineer. Holland 
is a strong advocate for Second 
Amendment rights and supporting 
the growth of businesses across the 
state.

Michigan Supreme Court
While candidates for the state 

Supreme Court are nominated by 
parties, they run in nonpartisan 
races in the general election. 

Bridget Mary McCormack 
McCormack was elected to the 

Michigan Supreme Court in 2012 
and currently serves as the Chief 
Justice. McCormack has been 
endorsed by U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, 
U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, U.S. 
Rep. Debbie Dingell and many 

other democratic local and state 
elected 
officials. 
McCormack 

previously served as a professor and 
associate dean at the University of 
Michigan Law School. McCormack 
currently teaches at the Law School 
and sits on the Board of Washtenaw 
County Families Against Narcotics, 
working to address the opioid crisis. 

Elizabeth Welch 
Welch is a Michigan attorney 

serving individuals, nonprofits and 
small businesses. Welch is a long-
time East Grand Rapids School 
Board Trustee and is the former 
president of the Michigan League 
of Conservation Voters. Welch has 
been endorsed by the Detroit Free 
Press and numerous prominent 
Democrats, including U.S. Reps. 
Debbie Dingell, D-Mich. and Dan 
Kildee, D-Mich. Welch plans to 
bring her diverse set of experiences 
to the court if elected and is focused 
on and passionate about the fight 
for equity in public education.

Mary Kelly 
Kelly is a graduate of Michigan 

State University and received her 
law degree from the Detroit College 
of Law. Kelly previously served as 
a prosecutor in St. Clair County, 
as an attorney and as a general 
practitioner in private practice 
with an emphasis on domestic 

cases, civil litigation and criminal 
matters. Kelly’s platform said she 
is focused on holding individuals 
accountable for their actions if 
elected to the Michigan Supreme 
Court.

Brock Swartzle 
Swartzle has been endorsed 

by more than 85 local officials 
and the Farm Bureau AgriPac, 
Michigan Chamber of Commerce 
and Michigan Realtors. Sawrtzle 
plans to put politics aside and focus 
on the law if elected, particularly 
to respect the federal governing 
bodies but legislate for Michigan as 
a separate sovereign. 

University of Michigan Board 

of Regents

Mark Bernstein (D)
Bernstein has been on the 

board of regents since 2012 and 
is a University of Michigan alum. 
He supports providing accessible 
public education while promoting 
diversity and protecting labor and 
the environment. Over the summer 
Berstein voted in favor of a tuition 
increase in this year’s budget 
and has expressed his support in 
aligning the University with Ann 
Arbor’s carbon neutrality goals.

Shauna Ryder Diggs (D)
Diggs 
also 
graduated 
from 

the University of Michigan as an 

undergraduate and has served on 
the board of regents for the last 
eight years. She supports efforts to 
make college more affordable and 
to provide more equitable funding 
across 
the 
University’s 
three 

campuses. Diggs voted against the 
budget this summer that included 
a tuition increase and has been 
receptive to the Climate Action 
Movement and One University’s 
criticism of the Board’s response to 
climate change.

Carl Meyers (R)
Meyers, also a University alum, 

has previously run for the Board 
of Regents numerous times. He 
supports resuming athletics and 
returning to in-person activities, 
in addition to calling for a tuition 
freeze. Meyers has also said 
he would prioritize protecting 
civil liberties and free speech on 
campus.

Sarah Hubbard (R)
Like Meyers, Hubbard is an 

alum who wants to fight increases 
in tuition and backs returning 
students 
to 
in-person 
classes. 

Hubbard is also a vocal supporter 
of the Second Amendment and pro-
life movement, claiming that these 
voices need to be heard more at the 
University. 

DESIGN BY MEGHANA TUMMALA

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
Wednesday, October 28, 2020 — 3

The Michigan Daily’s state and federal election guide

Learn more about the different options that will be at the top of the ballot for voters living in Michigan this November

HANNAH MACKAY & 

SARAH PAYNE
Daily Staff Reporters

Students can still vote under stay-in-place order

Washtenaw County clarifies U-M undergraduates can participate in election-related activities despite COVID-19 restrictions

ANGELINA LITTLE 

Daily Staff Reporter 

University 
of 
Michigan 

undergraduates can vote and 
participate in election activities 
as well as study by themselves 
in designated areas on campus, 
according to a Friday update 
to the stay-in-place order from 
the Washtenaw County Health 
Department.

Registering to vote, working at 

polling stations and participating 
in campaign outreach are all 
allowed.

Students can also go on campus 

to access “essential technology” 
at designated areas with single 
person study spaces. Permitted 
activities 
include 
studying, 

printing or participating in virtual 
classes. The order still prohibits 
studying in groups or going to 
study at coffee shops, restaurants 
or “other establishments where 
multiple 
students/people 
may 

gather, even if they are on campus 
or in U-M buildings.”

Students must follow social 

distancing guidelines and wear 
face masks if they leave their 
homes.

The stay-in-place order issued 

by the county Tuesday to prevent 
further 
spread 
of 
COVID-19 

initially included a number of 
exceptions for students to leave 
their residences, including voting. 
The 
University 
continues 
to 

encourage students to vote.

University 
President 
Mark 

Schlissel stressed this exception 
to the order in his weekly COVID-
19 update email Friday morning.

“The 
Washtenaw 
County 

Health Department Stay in Place 
order 
specifically 
exempted 

election 
related 
activities 
at 

polling places, including going out 

to register to vote and to vote on 
or prior to election day,” Schlissel 
wrote. “Additionally, the order 
exempts working or volunteering, 
which could include working at 
a polling place, to the extent the 
work cannot be done remotely 
and you have the approval of the 
employer.”

Students are encouraged to 

continue to make use of the Ann 
Arbor City Clerk satellite office 
in the University of Michigan 
Museum of Art, which opened 
last month to assist students in 
registering and voting in the 
upcoming election. As of Oct. 

13, more than 2,600 students 
registered to vote and around 
3,000 voted in-person or returned 
their 
absentee 
ballot 
at 
the 

UMMA. 

With 11 days to Election Day, 

UMMA will extend its hours to 
remain open on Saturdays from 
8 a.m. to 4 p.m. beginning on 
Saturday. 

Macy 
Lighthall, 
assistant 

manager at the UMMA store, said 
she has observed some difference 
in student traffic since the stay-
in-place order took effect but says 
it remains unclear how exactly it 
will affect the number of students 

voting. 

“The day before the stay-at-

home mandate, or order, we had 
a line for voting… almost to the 
street … along with full capacity 
inside the building,” Lighthall 
said. “And then today, for a very 
nice day on Friday, around noon, 
it’s been very quiet. We don’t 
have a full line, we are not at full 
capacity, so… I guess I would say 
there’s definitely been a difference 
but I don’t know the numbers 
exactly for the week.”

Daily News Reporter Angelina 

Little can be reached at angelit@
umich.edu. 

