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City Commission OKs November 2025 polling locations over lone dissent
Summary
Grand Rapids City Commission approved Election Day polling locations and inspector pay for the November 2025 special election; Commissioner Perdue registered the sole “no” vote after renewing concerns about reducing polling places.
The Grand Rapids City Commission voted to approve Election Day polling locations and inspector pay for the November 2025 special elections, with one commissioner opposed.
The measure, presented by commissioners during the meeting, adopted the city clerk’s plan to allow absentee- and early-counting procedures beginning the second Monday before the election and set inspector compensation ranges. The plan assigns appointment authority for election inspectors to the election commission, composed of the city clerk, city attorney and city assessor.
The approval follows legal timing requirements noted during the presentation: state law permits the city to begin processing absentee ballots on the second Monday before an election, and the Grand Rapids City Charter requires the commission to designate polling locations at least 20 days before an election. Commissioner Gonzales explained those scheduling and pay rules during the discussion.
Commissioner Perdue said she opposed the resolution because it continued a prior reduction of in-person Election Day polling locations in parts of the city. “That is not the right decision for our city, particularly at this time,” Perdue said during debate, repeating the position she took earlier in the year. Perdue recorded the only dissenting vote; the remainder of the commission voted to approve the resolution.
Inspector pay noted in the presentation included a training-class stipend of $25 and role-based pay that can range from about $120 to $225 depending on duties, as explained by the presenter. The commission did not change those pay ranges when it approved the resolution.
City Clerk staff reminded residents that absentee ballots are available online at Michigan’s state election site and encouraged voters to verify polling locations before Election Day.
The resolution becomes the city’s official designation of polling locations and inspector pay for the November 2025 special elections. The clerk’s office will implement the absentee-ballot processing schedule described in the plan.
