Oakland County Clerk Lisa Brown is urging Farmington and Farmington Hills voters heading to the polls Tuesday, Aug. 4, to vote in only one party's section of the ballot or risk having their votes thrown out.

"Remember in our primary elections, you can only vote one party's candidates ... in our August primaries we see more spoiled ballots than any other election," Brown told WXYZ on Monday, Aug. 3. "People want to vote for Democrats and Republicans. You can only do that in November."

Michigan primary ballots list both a Democratic and a Republican partisan section on a single sheet. Voters who mark candidates in both sections spoil the partisan portion of their ballot, and those votes go uncounted.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. across Farmington Hills' 23 precincts. Farmington Hills City Clerk Carly Lindahl oversees local administration of the vote.

What's on the ballot

Farmington Hills voters face contested primaries for governor, U.S. Senate, the 11th Congressional District, State Senate District 8 and State House District 19. In our ballot breakdown, the Democratic primary for the 11th Congressional District features state Sen. Jeremy Moss, Aisha Farooqi, John Paul Torres and Don Ufford, while Republican Ethan Baker is also on the ballot.

Also before voters: the Oakland Schools Regional Enhancement Millage, a 1.5-mill levy for six years estimated to raise roughly $125.8 million if approved and first levied in 2026. The sample ballot lists Farmington Public Schools as a beneficiary district. For a homeowner with $200,000 in taxable value, the annual cost would be about $300, providing an estimated $781 per student per year to eligible districts, according to WXYZ's reporting. Oakland County is one of the few large Michigan counties without a dedicated countywide school enhancement millage.

Strong early turnout

The warning comes after a surge in early voting. Brown told The Oakland Press on July 30 that Oakland County had already surpassed 8,000 in-person early ballots cast as of July 29, running ahead of 2024 figures at the same point. Statewide, more than 832,000 voters had cast ballots by July 28, representing 11.3% turnout among active registered voters. Absentee ballot requests statewide are up 58.8% compared to the 2022 primary.

The nine-day early voting period at the Costick Activities Center on West 11 Mile Road ended Sunday, Aug. 2. Voters who still have an absentee ballot in hand should use an official drop box or deliver it directly to their clerk's office rather than relying on mail. All ballots must arrive by 8 p.m.

Results are expected after polls close Tuesday night.