What Farm Bureau members need to know before the Aug. 4 primary

With Michigan's Aug. 4 primary election approaching, Michigan Farm Bureau is encouraging members to help ensure agriculture's voice is heard.

"In many communities, the primary election effectively decides who will hold office because the district strongly favors one party," said MFB Government Relations Specialist Matt Kapp. "That makes primaries especially important for farmers and rural residents. Decisions made in August shape the leadership representing our communities for years to come."

Before heading to the polls, here's a recap of the election resources and candidate information Michigan Farm Bureau has shared throughout the summer to help members prepare.

Know your options

Michigan offers several ways to cast your ballot, including absentee voting, early in-person voting and in-person voting on Election Day. Review these resources for a refresher:

Plan to Vote: Early Voting and Absentee Ballots Offer Flexibility for Farmers — Learn about absentee voting, early voting, key deadlines and other options.

Farm Bureau Members Encouraged to Answer the Call as Poll Workers — Find out how working the polls helps strengthen Michigan elections.

Friends of Agriculture endorsements

Earlier this summer, MFB's political action committee, AgriPac, announced more than 100 primary election endorsements. Members can review the complete Friends of Agriculture endorsement list here.

Several candidates also answered questions about their priorities for agriculture:

Michael Bouchard — Congressional District 10: most of southern Macomb County and the Rochester area of Oakland

Adam Hollier — State Senate District 3: Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park

Gina Johnsen — State Senate District 33: all of Montcalm and Newaygo counties; parts of Ionia, Kent, Lake, Muskegon and Ottawa

Chris Moraitis — State Senate District 20: portions of Allegan, Berrien, Kent and Van Buren counties 

Dave Prestin — State Senate District 38: Alger, Baraga, Delta, Dickinson, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw, Luce, Marquette, Menominee, Ontonagon and Schoolcraft counties; parts of Chippewa and Mackinac 

Daryl Schroeder — House District 108: Delta, Menominee, Schoolcraft and Luce counties; parts of Chippewa and Mackinac

U.S. Senate

AgriPac endorsed Mike Rogers for U.S. Senate. In his questionnaire responses, Rogers discussed issues including farm profitability, agricultural labor and trade policy.

"Farm profitability depends on stronger markets, lower input costs and greater certainty," Rogers said. He also called H-2A "critical for seasonal labor" and said trade policy should focus on expanding market access while enforcing rules against unfair trade practices. Read his complete responses here.

Election logistics

Visit the Michigan Voter Information Center to verify your polling location, view early voting sites, track your absentee ballot, find your local clerk and access other election resources.

Michigan voters will choose who serves in the following offices this election cycle: governor and lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, one U.S. Senate seat, all 13 U.S. House seats, two Michigan Supreme Court seats, Michigan Court of Appeals judges, two Michigan State University Board of Trustees seats, all 38 Michigan Senate seats and all 110 Michigan House seats.