Fill the Seats: How to Get In
Fill the Seats: How to Get In
Don’t you want to tell a bishop to back down? Now you can.
The system that protects Brian Banks runs on empty seats. Not on votes. Not on money. On emptiness. On boards with no quorum. On precincts with no delegates. On commissions with no commissioners. On school boards where nobody filed.
This page tells you — specifically, exactly — how to fill those seats. Ranked by impact. Starting with the seats that matter most right now.
TIER 1: CRITICAL — File by October 23
These seats are open RIGHT NOW. The deadline is October 23, 2026 at 5:00 PM. You can walk in and file tomorrow.
1A. Muskegon Heights School Board (5 of 7 seats, ZERO candidates)
Why it matters: Nobody filed. The county clerk has never seen this before. If seats stay unfilled, the board loses quorum. The state steps in. That’s the same state whose charter system created the problem.
Who can run: Any registered voter living in the Muskegon Heights School District. Age 18+. U.S. citizen.
How to file as a write-in:
- Go to the Muskegon County Clerk’s Office (990 Terrace Street, Muskegon, MI 49442)
- File a Declaration of Intent as a write-in candidate
- Deadline: October 23, 2026 at 5:00 PM
- There is no filing fee for write-in candidates
- That’s it. You’re on the ballot as a write-in.
How to win: Get more votes than zero. In a write-in race with no other candidates, you could win with a single vote.
Contact: Muskegon County Clerk, Karen Whitehouse — (231) 724-6520
1B. DPSCD School Board — Write-In (5 of 7 seats, 35 candidates)
Why it matters: 49,643 students. Michigan’s largest district. New majority. Controls whether PCA’s charter gets reviewed.
Who can run as write-in: Registered voter in the Detroit Public Schools Community District. Age 18+. U.S. citizen.
How to file as a write-in:
- Go to the Detroit City Clerk’s Office (2 Woodward Ave, Suite 200, Detroit, MI 48226)
- File a Declaration of Intent as a write-in candidate
- Deadline: October 23, 2026 at 5:00 PM
- No filing fee for write-in
- Your name won’t be printed on the ballot — voters must write it in
How to win: In 2024, the 4th-place DPSCD winner got about 8.3% of the vote (~5,000 votes). But in a low-turnout midterm, it could be much less. The Eastside Slate candidates (Jones, Smith, Harris, Christian) have the labor endorsements. The BAMN slate has the activist base. Unendorsed candidates can still win in a 35-person field — vote-splitting is extreme.
Contact: Detroit City Clerk — (313) 224-3260
TIER 2: HIGH — Vote November 3
These seats are on the ballot in 22 days. You can’t file anymore, but you can organize, endorse, canvass, and vote.
2A. Michigan State Board of Education (2 of 8 seats)
Why it matters: If both Republicans win, the SBE splits 4-4. No charter reform passes. For eight years. Bree Moeggenberg is from Mt. Pleasant — CMU country — where the state’s largest charter authorizer is headquartered.
What to do:
- Vote for Tiffany Tilley and Judith Pritchett (Democratic incumbents)
- Tell everyone you know: down-ballot matters. SBE is at the bottom of your ballot. Most people skip it.
- Share this with parents, teachers, anyone who cares about schools
2B. DPSCD School Board (vote)
What to do:
- The deepest endorsement stacks: Theodore Jones and Jameel Smith (Eastside Slate + AFL-CIO + AFT + UAW)
- Also endorsed: Bessie Harris (Eastside + AFL-CIO + AFT), Bobby Christian (Eastside + UAW)
- For the partial term: Ijazz Jackson (Eastside Slate)
- Vote for 4 in the main race, vote for 1 in the partial-term race
2C. Governor
What to do:
- The governor controls 200+ board and commission appointments, including SBE mid-term vacancies
- Jocelyn Benson endorsed by Eastside Slate, 13th CD Dems, broad coalition
2D. Judicial Elections
What to do:
- MI Supreme Court: Noah Hood and Megan Cavanagh (Eastside Slate endorsed)
- Wayne County Probate: Vanessa Moss
- 36th District Court: William Burton Jr., Jo Irby, Delphia Burton
TIER 3: MEDIUM — Apply Now, Serve Immediately
These seats are open and you can apply TODAY. No election required. Just apply and get appointed.
3A. Detroit City Boards and Commissions
How to apply:
- Download the Committee Membership Application at detroitmi.gov/document/committee-membership-application
- Fill it out. List the board/commission you want.
- Submit to the City Clerk / City Council
- You will be interviewed by the relevant standing committee
- Council votes on your appointment
- You’re sworn in by the City Clerk
What’s open:
| Board/Commission | Vacancy | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Tenants’ Rights Commission | 1 vacant + 4 terms ending Dec 31 | Detroit resident |
| Entertainment Commission | 2 vacant | Detroit resident |
| Historic Designation Advisory Board | 1 vacant | Detroit resident, preservation knowledge preferred |
| Board of Zoning Appeals | Terms expiring Dec 31, 2026 | Detroit resident |
| Board of Review | Terms expiring | Detroit resident |
| City Planning Commission | 3-year staggered terms, by district | Detroit resident in the relevant district |
| Brownfield Redevelopment Authority | Terms expiring | Detroit resident |
Who controls appointments:
- Tenants’ Rights: Council appoints 4, Mayor appoints 4, 1 joint
- City Planning Commission: 7 by council (one per district), 2 by mayor
- Latisha Johnson chairs Planning & Economic Development committee — she controls CPC, DBRA, DEGC, DDA, HDAB, Zoning appointments
What this means: You can sit on a board that Latisha Johnson’s committee oversees. You can ask questions. You can demand answers. You can vote. Don’t you want to tell a bishop to back down? Now you can.
Contact: Detroit City Council — (313) 224-3443
3B. Michigan State Boards and Commissions (200+)
How to apply:
- Go to michigan.gov/whitmer/appointments
- Browse the Boards and Commissions portal
- Complete the electronic application
- The Appointments Division reviews all applicants as vacancies arise
- Governor appoints. Some require Senate confirmation.
Current vacancies (michigan.gov/lara/about/board-vacancies):
- Board of Mechanical Rules
- Manufactured Housing Commission
- State Fire Safety Board
- Electrical Administrative Board
- State Boundary Commission
- Michigan Board of Accountancy
- Michigan Board of Counseling
- Michigan Board of Pharmacy
- Board for the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing
- Utility Consumer Participation Board
- And more
Requirements vary: Some require professional licensure. Some require residency in specific regions. Some just require Michigan residency and willingness to serve. Read the statute for each board.
What this means: You can serve on a board that regulates something. You can ask questions. You can show up. You can be the person in the room who wasn’t there before.
3C. County Boards (Every county has openings)
How to apply: Contact your county Board of Commissioners. Most accept applications by mail, email, or online form.
| County | Known Openings | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Kent | 16 openings (deadline passed, check for next cycle) | (616) 632-7580 |
| Mason | 13 openings across boards | kszczypka@masoncountymi.gov |
| Shiawassee | Multiple boards | lettersofinterest@shiawassee.net |
| Jackson | Ongoing | (517) 780-4755 |
| Wayne | Contact commission office | (313) 224-0946 |
| Your county | Call your county clerk | Look up at michigan.gov |
TIER 4: LOW (but foundational) — Prepare for 2028
4A. Precinct Delegates
Why it matters: Precinct delegates are the ground floor of the political machine. They elect county convention delegates, who elect county committee, who elect state committee, who elect national committee. Jonathan Kinloch became VP of the Michigan Democratic Party through this pipeline. In Detroit, hundreds of precinct delegate slots have no one filed.
When: August 2028 primary election
How to become one:
- Be a registered voter living in the precinct
- File an Affidavit of Identity (notarized) with your county clerk
- Filing deadline: 13th Tuesday before August primary (roughly mid-May 2028)
- Your name goes on the ballot
- Win the precinct (if uncontested, one vote wins — your own)
- You serve a 2-year term as precinct delegate
What you can do before 2028:
- Find out which precinct you’re in (contact your city/township clerk)
- Find out how many delegate positions are allocated to your precinct
- Contact your local party chair
- Show up to county party meetings. You don’t need to be a delegate to attend.
Vacancy fill between elections: Under MCL 168.624d, county conventions can fill delegate vacancies by majority vote. If your precinct has an empty seat right now, contact your county party chair about filling it at the next convention.
4B. School Board (Next Cycle — 2028)
Filing deadline: July 2028 (15th Tuesday before November election)
Requirements:
- Registered voter in the school district
- Age 18+, U.S. citizen, Michigan resident 30+ days
- File Affidavit of Identity (notarized, in duplicate) + nominating petition (6-100 signatures depending on district size) OR $100 filing fee
Resources:
- MASB Candidate’s Guide: masb.org
- County clerk for your district
- MASB virtual town halls for prospective candidates
THE MATH
| Seat Type | Effort to Get In | Power Once In |
|---|---|---|
| Write-in for empty school board | File one form + get 1 vote | 1 of 7 board votes = 14% of governance |
| City commission appointment | Submit application + interview | Vote on policy, permits, zoning, budgets |
| State board appointment | Apply online + wait | Set statewide policy in your area |
| County board appointment | Letter of interest | Vote on county services, health, planning |
| Precinct delegate | Affidavit + 1 vote | Pipeline to county → state → national party |
One person who shows up beats everyone who doesn’t.
THE CHOICE
There are two kinds of people who sit on boards:
People who were asked by the machine. They know who put them there. They know what’s expected. They know when to look away. They serve the person who appointed them.
People who walked in off the street. They don’t owe anyone anything. They don’t know the unwritten rules. They ask the wrong questions. They read the financial statements. They wonder out loud why 72.67% of a school’s revenue goes to one man’s LLC.
The machine prefers the first kind. The machine depends on not enough of the second kind showing up.
A true fool would be better. Someone who doesn’t understand the game can’t be trained to lose it.
Someone I don’t know vs. someone I know not to trust.
That’s the choice at every level. At every board. At every commission. At every school board in every district in this state.
Don’t you want to tell a bishop to back down? Now you can.
Walk into your county clerk’s office. Download an application. File an affidavit. Write your name in.
The seats are empty. The seats are yours.
All filing deadlines, requirements, and contact information sourced from Michigan Election Law (MCL 168), MASB Candidate’s Guide 2026, michigan.gov, detroitmi.gov, and county clerk offices. Verify with your local filing official before filing.
Contact: eco.primal@pm.me