Read profiles of these eight Michigan counties before the election

To continue to highlight the importance of Michigan voters this cycle, we’re focusing on eight counties identified through a partnership with the American Communities Project (read more here) because they offer a broad range of voters with diverse life experiences, ideas and opinions.

Here you can find eight portrait stories about these districts to read for free:

• Wayne County: Michigan’s largest and most diverse district regularly represents a sizable voting bloc for Democratic candidates. But the upcoming presidential election could depend on how many voters turn out in Detroit, Michigan’s largest city.
• County of Kent: Kent County, home to Grand Rapids, Michigan’s second-largest city, was once considered a Republican stronghold. But as it has grown, the county has become a legitimate campaign area that national media flock to every four years. The county’s mix of urban, suburban and rural communities also reflects the makeup of Michigan as a state.
• County Ingham: Ingham County may be best known as the seat of the state capital or Michigan State University, but it is also a mix of rural, urban and university communities, covering a unique cross-section of a state’s electorate that is expected to play a decisive role in this year’s election.
• Livingston County: Many communities in Livingston County lean conservative, but there is a geographic split in voting patterns between the county’s suburbs and rural communities. Originally, the southeastern part of the county consisted mostly of small villages and rural areas with family farms, but the past few decades have seen an influx of people settling in and commuting to the urban and suburban areas of the Detroit metropolitan area.
• Osceola County: Osceola County residents can’t afford to ignore politics: From the fight to preserve a unique community facility to efforts to attract new businesses, Osceola County residents are engaged while national issues like inflation play out at the local level.
• Saginaw County: Saginaw County has become a frontrunner in Michigan – every four years since 1992, the presidential candidate who won the county has also swept Michigan’s electoral votes by winning the entire state. In 2024, the county is feeling its political momentum.
• Schoolcraft County: When you ask residents of Schoolcraft County in the Upper Peninsula to talk about their home, they usually first mention the scenic surroundings and how close they are to Lake Michigan. But the same rural qualities they value present difficulties for the community that other, larger counties in the state don’t face, affecting the region’s concerns, solutions and political landscape.
• Newaygo County: Newaygo County is a reliably Republican county with a population of just over 50,000. It’s an area where unique downtowns and natural recreational opportunities drive much of the economy and discourse, and Newaygo County residents are as engaged in local issues as they are national ones.

This article is part of a collaboration between The Free Press, a Michigan State University course, and the American Communities Project to tell voters’ stories, their experiences, and their political motivations in communities across Michigan in the lead-up to the 2024 election. Contact us at [email protected].