Voter Information, Including Campaign Finance Analyses

The ELi team has been working hard to bring you thorough coverage of the East Lansing City Council race. Here’s a roundup:

The basics of this election:

The East Lansing City Council has five members in total. Each serves for a four-year term. Three seats are up for grabs in this election, and six people are running. On the first day the new City Council meets, a mayor and mayor pro tem will be elected from among the five by the five.

So:

• The election is on Tuesday, November 3.
• You’ll vote for up to three people out of a choice of six.
• Wondering if you should use all three of your votes? Read this.
• Voting in the Bailey or Chesterfield Hills area, or not sure where you vote? Read this.
• Voting absentee? Read this.

Learn about the candidates:

Want to learn more about the candidates and their campaign financing? Choose from among the following:

Four of the candidates elected to do disclosures of donor information earlier than required by law; read more about that. On September 30, we published our first report on those four candidates’ campaign contributors, and on October 15, we published our second report. Our final comparison was done after all candidates were required by law to submit financial information to the County.

The League of Women Voters held a candidate debate. You can read our report, which includes a link to a complete video of the event.

Controversies:

We have covered a number of controversies and points of disagreement related to the campaign, including:

• an even split between remaining Councilmembers Ruth Beier and Susan Woods as to who they endorse, a split mirroring voting records on major financial issues;
• answers to the question of how candidates voted or would have voted on the last, $1.5 million tax increment financing (TIF) deal.
• a dispute between Councilmember Ruth Beier and Mayor Nathan Triplett (running for reelection) on Triplett’s representation of the City’s debt; read more about the debate and read our report on retiree-related debt.
• a series of attack ads against Altman launched by the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce; read our report on the first ad, the Chamber’s PAC’s endorsees’ responses, our report on the fallout, and our report on Draheim’s reaction to the Chamber’s support of her. We also looked into the legality of the Chamber paying for attack and support ads; read more.
• the forwarding by County Clerk Barb Byrum to the State of an alleged campaign finance law violation by Erik Altmann; read more, and read our follow-up that has has details about the original complaint as well as Bryum's investigation and letter to the State.

Is there information we haven't provided that you need? Try the website of our City Clerk, and let us know if you don't find what you need there or here.