May Election’s Low Voter Turnout Yields Mixed Results in Clawson, Ferndale and Madison Heights
(Kurt Metzger, May 12, 2025)
Oakland County, MI – While we typically think of going to the polls on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, Michigan voters are also called to the polls in August, mainly for primaries and selected races, and in May when school bond proposals and municipal funding requests tend to drive elections. In Presidential election years, we get a special primary in February.
Typically, turnouts are highest in November, followed by August and then May. In Oakland County in 2024, November turnout was 73 percent; August was 24.9; February was 26.9 percent; and, May was only 17.3 percent.
On Tuesday, May 6, Oakland County voters went to the polls in the City of Ferndale, the City of Clawson and two school districts – Ferndale and Lamphere. The result was 2 victories and 3 losses.
In Clawson voters were asked to vote on two charter amendments related to the number of council members and the length of their terms. Both measures went down to defeat. The ballot initiatives had been placed by City Council members who disagreed with the community’s previous Charter Revision vote which took place in Nov. 2023. At that time, the Charter Revision passed with 58.12% in favor of the changes. With the ballot measures failing the City is anticipated to move forward with the original changes approved by voters, including the increase of the Council from five to seven members.
Overall turnout in the May election was just shy of 26 percent, with each of the 5 precincts at 24 percent or better. For proposal number one, regarding the number of seats on Council, 36.08% (888) voted in favor of keeping the five person council and 63.92% (1573) voted against it. The second proposal had similar results, with 63.07% voting no.
The City of Ferndale had placed a Headlee Operating Millage Restoration Proposal on the November 2024 ballot. 11,661 voters went to the polls and voted down the proposal 54 to 46 percent. Total turnout measured 70.4 percent.
The city came back to the voters in May with a less robust proposal. This time voter turnout was 23.04% percent, and the Headlee passed with 58 percent in favor and 42 percent opposed.
In the Ferndale School District, the total turnout for the bond vote was 24.5 percent, with 70.10% of voters in favor of the bond, and 29.90% voting no.
While all precincts voted in the affirmative, winning percentages ranged from a low of 64.5 in Ferndale Precinct 5 to highs of 81.2 percent in Royal Oak township and 79.3 percent in Pleasant Ridge. Due to low turnout, the township accounted for only 95 ‘Yes’ votes, while Pleasant Ridge tallied 607.
Precinct turnout rates ranged from 8.4 percent in Royal Oak township to 40.5 percent in Ferndale Precinct 1. The two Oak Park precincts came in at 20.0 and 14.6 percent, while Pleasant Ridge turned out 31.8 percent of its registered voters.
In Lamphere Schools, which is located in Madison Heights, just 11.4 percent of registered voters were able to defeat the school improvement bond proposition, with a total turnout of 19.8 percent. Turnout across the five voting precincts ranged from 8.6 to 24.5 percent.
Overall, 57.61% (1449) opposed the bond proposal, and 42.39% (1066) voted in favor of if, for a difference of just 383 voters.
The chart below shows turnout by precinct in the school bond votes for Lamphere and Ferndale Schools.
For more stories about the Census and other interesting numbers, visit the Data-Base Stories Archives on Oakland County Times. Thanks to Data Expert Kurt Metzger for this work!
Note: this story has been updated to correct the voter turnout percentage of Ferndale to 23.04%.
