Southfield, Michigan Public Records

Michigan's same-day registration law allows eligible citizens to register and vote on Election Day either at their local clerk's office or directly at their polling place. Voters must be U.S. Citizens, at least 18 years old by Election Day, and Michigan residents. Municipal elections in Southfield take place during odd-numbered years, when voters select the mayor and city council members. The mayor serves a four-year term, while the seven council members elected at-large serve staggered four-year terms. The next municipal election arrives on November 4, 2025, with candidate filing opening in January 2025. These races are nonpartisan. The Southfield City Clerk's Office at 26000 Evergreen Road, Southfield, MI 48076, phone (248) 796-5120, handles city election administration and provides details on local candidates and ballot proposals. Residents can locate their polling place through the Michigan Voter Information Center at www.michigan.gov/vote by entering their name and date of birth or address. The site shows polling location addresses, hours of operation—7:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Election Day—and sample ballots. During the November 2024 presidential election, Oakland County saw approximately 620,000 votes cast from roughly 900,000 registered voters, yielding about 69% turnout, among Michigan's highest rates. On November 3, 2026, voters in Southfield and Oakland County will decide numerous major races. Michigan holds gubernatorial elections during midterm years, so the 2026 ballot will feature contests for Governor (four-year term), Secretary of State, Attorney General, U.S. Senate (Michigan's Class II seat currently held by Gary Peters, up for reelection in 2026), U.S. House of Representatives (Michigan's 12th Congressional District includes most of Southfield), Michigan State Senate (District 4 covers Southfield), Michigan State House of Representatives (Districts 3 and 4 cover portions of Southfield), Oakland County Executive, Oakland County Commissioner (Districts 9 and 22 cover portions of Southfield), Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds, Oakland County Treasurer, Oakland County Prosecuting Attorney, and Oakland County Sheriff. Judicial elections for Circuit Court, District Court, and Probate Court judges may also appear. Michigan voters can request absentee ballots without stating a reason thanks to a constitutional amendment approved in 2018. Applications are available at www.michigan.gov/vote and must be submitted to the Southfield City Clerk. Voters can join the permanent absentee voter list to automatically receive applications for each election. Completed absentee ballots must arrive by 8:00 PM on Election Day through mail, drop box at city hall, or in-person delivery to the clerk's office. Public election records in Michigan include voter registration lists (available to qualified requesters under MCL 168.522), campaign finance disclosure reports (searchable at www.michigan.gov/sos), candidate filings and petition signatures, precinct-level election results (available at www.oakgov.com/clerkrod/election-division/results), and polling place locations. The Oakland County Elections Division posts unofficial results on election night and certifies official results within two weeks of each election.