A series of upcoming forums will be held in Benzie and Leelanau counties prior to the Nov. 4 election.

A newspaper report Thursday said tens of thousands of eligible voters have been removed from rolls or blocked from registering in at least six swing states, including Michigan, but election officials quickly lined up to defend their registration procedures and said they had done nothing wrong.

Louie R. Rose grew upset when someone plucked three political signs from the yard in front of his Traverse City apartment. But Rose plans to replace the signs -- one for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, two for Grand Traverse County Commission candidate Ross Richardson -- and turn his frustration into motivation.

Voters will choose from four candidates -- two incumbents and two newcomers -- for three spots on the Northwestern Michigan College Board of Trustees. Incumbents K. Ross Childs and Bill Myers seek re-election, while newcomers Susan Sheldon and Linda Wasielewski also vie for board positions.

A retired Ingham County district judge said Wednesday a state proposal that would loosen restrictions on stem cell research would tie state government's hands and prevent oversight of experiments on embryos.

Misrepresenting issues; Leadership, experience; Supporting 3 candidates; Facts that aren't facts; Preserve land for park; Law-abiding treasurer; Approve legal relief; Preserve 62 acres; Make voices heard; Preschool education

Area undecided voters are pretty certain of one pessimistic particular in this presidential campaign. There's not much chance the next president can soon reverse the nation's economic doldrums or lower the cost of necessities such as food and gas.

A report based on interviews with undecided voters conducted by journalists in eight states that collectively account for 101 electoral votes: Indiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Hampshire, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota and Michigan.

CNHI journalists interviewed undecided voters during the past week and a half to talk about issues important during this presidential campaign. Reporters and editors spoke with 36 voters in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Hampshire, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota and Michigan. Responses to some of their questions follow.

In these videos, undecided voters discuss the presidential candidates, the issues that matter to them and how they will make up their minds.

Meet the undecideds. Kimberly McKerchie cares more about this presidential election than any other race in which she's voted. Kalkaska teacher Rich Hilts has health-care coverage, but he's "concerned about everybody." Michelle Glass can be turned off by negative campaigning. They're among local voters who want to feel good about who they choose for president. But right now, they're stymied, torn or only leaning.

Michigan's economic misery topped the list of issues in the U.S. Senate race long before the debate over rescuing the U.S. financial industry came up. It's even bigger now as uncertainty swirls around what's next for the nation's economy.

Michigan may become the latest state to let some severely ill patients use marijuana to treat pain, nausea and other symptoms. Read about the proposal, including its wording as seen on the ballot, here.

Christine Allen is one of six candidates in Grand Traverse County who seek various township offices without party affiliation. Long Lake Township's treasurer will run for re-election without party affiliation: not as a Republican, not as a Democrat, Libertarian or Independent.

Michigan voters will be thrust into the crossroads of science, ethics and religion this November when they decide whether to loosen the state's restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research. Read about the proposal, including its wording as seen on the ballot, here.

It comes down to a question of how Kalkaska County taxpayers want to pay for the Kaliseum. The answer is due next month.

Greed, naivete; The influence factor; Illogical conclusion; Fought to grow jobs; Breath of fresh air; We should be wary; Let's think ahead; Who can we trust?; Dedicated to our area; Just the facts, please; Water for sale?

Republican John McCain's abrupt, ill-advised Michigan fade could be good news for Democrats down the ticket, maybe even for Supreme Court candidate Diane Marie Hathaway, partisan-nominated contender on the ill-named "bipartisan" ballot.

Let's cut to the chase scene. The American people expected Thursday night's debate ... to answer this question: Is Republican Gov. Sarah Palin a capable candidate for vice president?

Sarah Palin showed up with folksiness and grit. Joe Biden brought emotion and substance.

One candidate has been gaffe-prone for decades; the other -- at least in plain view of the masses -- for just over a month. One candidate is known as a longtime, sophisticated pol. The other a relative newcomer, with no federal experience.

The issue: Voter registration deadline; Our view: Only two days left; if you haven't found a reason to vote this year you're just not trying.

If Michigan voters approve a medical-marijuana ballot initiative next month, the state will enter a minefield of unintended consequences, according to a newly formed group opposing the measure.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain conceded battleground Michigan to Democrat Barack Obama on Thursday, a major retreat as he struggles to regain his footing in a campaign increasingly dominated by economic issues.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Thursday in Grand Rapids that his rival John McCain is out of touch with the economic struggles of Americans and doesn't understand that there's nothing more fundamental than a job.

A worthwhile cause; Arrogant attitude; A dose of reality; Am I qualified for VP? Falls short of mark; Shocking attitudes; Consider qualifications; Time for change; Single-issue voters; Stop and think; Voter watching both sides; Problem solved!

Led by the nonprofit Center for Michigan, a growing number of citizens believe talking to candidates can end partisan gridlock and rally Lansing lawmakers around common issues that matter to voters. Their success in northwest Michigan will be on display Monday during a candidate forum for local state House candidates Ray Franz, Dan Scripps, Roman Grucz and Wayne Schmidt.

Former U.S. Rep. Joe Schwarz is endorsing Democratic challenger Mark Schauer in his former south-central Michigan congressional district, even though he's a Republican.

One of the most pressing issues facing our next president is restoration and protection of the Great Lakes. Holding 20 percent of the world's freshwater supply, the lakes are a global strategic asset and a key to our national security. They will be the basis of our regional economy for the next century.

There will be at least one debate between the two major party candidates for Michigan's U.S. Senate seat.

How can it be that in 2008 -- 143 years after slavery was abolished, decades after the civil rights movement -- an AP-Yahoo News poll could find that racial misgivings could cost Sen. Barack Obama the election? In search of explanations, two Associated Press reporters -- one black, one white -- listened to people of both races along Detroit's divides.

The upcoming presidential election surely will be memorable, no matter who wins the White House. Either way, the country will have either its first black president in Barack Obama, or its first female vice president in Sarah Palin. But they need your votes. And you only have about a week left to register.

Mark Gaffney, president of Michigan's AFL-CIO, doesn't have to work hard at telling union members that the last eight years have been bad for them. Few have much use for George W. Bush. Nor do they have any love for John McCain. But he knows very well there are white, blue-collar union workers who just won't vote for a black man.

Eric Brefka pays attention to politics. He found out from a survey in government class that he tends to take a moderate stance on issues. Brefka anticipates the day he can vote for a leader who will tackle what he believes will be key this November -- the war in Iraq and the cost of a college education.

As founder of the only adult stem cell bank of its kind in Michigan, I support adult stem cell research and believe it is vital in the effort to heal and treat patients. I also believe Michigan must pursue all forms of stem cell research -- adult and embryonic -- in the fight to save lives.

A new poll shows Democrat Barack Obama leading Republican John McCain in Michigan by 13 percentage points.

Watch for radical intent; Keep women's rights; Read into 'head fake'; No 'trickle down'; Unseat the incumbents; Completely unqualified; Lies and half-truths; Proactive, accessible; Oil -- and water; Will promote tourism

What was he thinking? Stance on war deadly; Bad environmental record; Veteran takes exception; Heaven help us; Sick of pandering; The leader we need; Displeased with attacks; Not good for the country; In tune with community; Insubstantial candidate; Hope is in change

A recent study on the benefits of in-state embryonic stem cell research is fueling new debate over Proposition 2 on the state's November election ballot.

Area filmmaker, film festival founder, theater programmer and author Michael Moore has a new hit with "Mike's Election Guide 2008."

With fewer than 50 days left until the election, Republicans and Democrats are opening up new campaign offices and recruiting more volunteers around the state.

Business issues, education and other topics will be covered in two upcoming candidate forums for three state House races covering the Grand Traverse region.

Clear vision for area; Get back to the basics; Commentary to humor? Vote pro-life; Breath of fresh air; Medical marijuana; Protect our lakes; Save Michigan's water; Slash and burn politics

If you had a high opinion of Sarah Palin before Thursday's interview with ABC News, you probably still do. If you had thought she is not qualified to be president, the sit-down probably confirmed that judgment.

Neither John McCain nor Barack Obama offers sound solutions to mammoth deficits in the federal budget and in Social Security. But their tax policies would differ dramatically.

Joe Biden told backers in industrial Michigan on Monday that John McCain will continue the job-destroying economic policies and divisive politics of the Bush administration.

Michigan's history of racial tensions is tugging against its Democratic tendencies, giving Barack Obama fits when most everything else potentially benefits Democrats: a soaring unemployment rate, shrinking auto industry and depressed housing market.

Bizarre attacks; Encouraging strength; A clear choice; No sense of security; Elect leaders who inspire; A poor choice; Voters deserve to know; Traditional values

I research adult stem cells, and my family here in West Michigan believes life begins at conception. Over dinner, we've had many conversations about the vital role embryonic stem cell research plays in the search for therapies and cures for diabetes, Parkinson's disease, recovery from spinal cord damage and more. On Nov. 4, Michigan voters will be asked to support expansion of embryonic stem cell research.

Thousands of Obama's supporters, many from organized labor, jammed into Hart Plaza along the downtown Detroit riverfront to hear the Democratic presidential candidate assure them of their place of importance in his White House.

There's a part of Brenda Lawrence that still doesn't believe this is true, that makes her want to pinch herself. Four years ago, the mayor of suburban Southfield was a delegate to her first Democratic National Convention, in Boston. She remembers, as everyone does, the riveting keynote speech by a then nearly unknown young senate candidate named Barack Obama.

Barack Obama and John McCain each had politicians with Michigan ties, one extremely slight, on their widely trumpeted running mate "short list" -- which often amounts to little more than a stroke list. Both ended up last week as also-rans.

Keep your eyes on Pennsylvania and Michigan. There are battleground states in the presidential election, and then there are these two, looming larger than most others because they offer such a rich opportunity for Republican John McCain and potential peril for Democrat Barack Obama.

Republican Ray Franz will continue his campaign for the state House of Representatives while Mike McManus returns to cherry farming after a recount upheld Franz's slim primary victory.

Mile High Stadium is coming to downtown Traverse City. Minneapolis-St. Paul, too. Cheering crowds, banners, placards, a master of ceremonies and the presidential nominees on the big screen will bring the excitement of the Democratic and Republican national conventions to the State Theatre.

Democratic delegates from Michigan and Florida were awarded full voting rights at the national convention Sunday, despite holding early primaries against party rules.

A Republican hasn't won Michigan's presidential vote since 1988, but GOP leaders said Saturday at their state convention that the time is right to change that trend this November.

The discussion of embryonic stem cell experimentation continues to generate a lot of heat while spreading far too little light. It bears repeating that adult, not embryonic, stem cell research is yielding amazing results. There are currently at least 73 diseases being treated as a result of adult stem cell research. This list includes cancer, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, corneal regeneration, Parkinson's disease and spinal cord injuries, to name but a few.

Teams of local and state election officials will manually recount more than 17,300 ballots to determine who won the Republican primary of the state 101st House District.

James Schmidt says he's a homeless man, but his run for local office could earn him a bed in the county jail. Acme Township Clerk Dorothy Dunville filed a criminal complaint against Schmidt that alleged he lied when he registered to vote in Acme Township, a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail.

Democratic dominance in presidential elections has been the norm for decades throughout much of the country's union-strong industrial Great Lakes region. Republican John McCain hopes to upset that history.

Michigan voters will decide whether to loosen the state's restrictions on embryonic stem cell research and allow medical use of marijuana during November's election.

The Michigan Court of Appeals said Wednesday that a broad proposal to change the size and makeup of the courts and the Legislature shouldn't be allowed on the November ballot.

A candidate for the office of Kalkaska County prosecutor wants the public to initiate a recount after he lost a close race in the Aug. 5 primary election.

Last year, Michigan and Florida Democrats were being told they would lose all their votes at the Democratic National Convention if they moved up their presidential primaries. Now, the same committee that stripped Florida and Michigan of their delegates for violating party rules by holding early primaries is poised to suggest those delegates regain their full voting powers when the Denver convention starts in eight days.

A recount in the Republican 101st District state House race looms after the district's four counties certified results that gave Ray Franz an apparent nine-vote win over Mike McManus.

The issue: Acme board prevails again; Our view: Voters demand the right to direct development in their community and to decide what the future will look like, as well as demand a township board that will represent their interests -- no matter what.

The issue: Tuesday's primary; Our view: Being an incumbent just isn't what it used to be. Across the region Tuesday, voters in the virtually all-Republican primary ousted a number of longtime incumbents and in at least one case a one-term supervisor elected on a promise of reforms.

Ray Franz doesn't plan to take a day off until after the November general election. He can't. There's another campaign at hand. "There's not enough time," said Franz, of Onekama, who likely will face Democrat Dan Scripps for the 101st District state House seat. "He's going to be hard to beat."

Voters' dramatic overhaul of the Garfield Township board, combined with incumbent losses in other Grand Traverse area races, will usher in numerous newcomers to local government seats come Jan. 1. In some municipalities, voters decided it was time for sweeping change, while in places like Acme Township, a solid majority of voters decided to ride the alterations they made in 2006.

Complete Charlevoix County results from the Aug. 5 2008, primary election.

Complete Crawford County results from the Aug. 5 2008, primary election.

Complete Cheboygan County results from the Aug. 5 2008, primary election.

Complete Wexford County results from the Aug. 5 2008, primary election.

Complete Antrim County results from the Aug. 5 2008, primary election.

Complete Missaukee County results from the Aug. 5 2008, primary election.

Complete Manistee County results from the Aug. 5 2008, primary election.

Complete Kalkaska County results from the Aug. 5 2008, primary election.

Complete Emmet County results from the Aug. 5 2008, primary election.

A Bear Lake grocery store owner bested three other Republican candidates in a close race for the state House.

Complete Grand Traverse County results from the Aug. 5 2008, primary election.

Complete Benzie County results from the Aug. 5 2008, primary election.

Complete Leelanau County results from the Aug. 5 2008, primary election.

Complete Otsego County results from the Aug. 5 2008, primary election.

Casperson wins nomination to challenge Stupak; 2 move on in Michigan Court of Appeals race; Downstate counties support Detroit Zoo tax

Leelanau County voters passed three millages.

A Grand Traverse County commissioner was on track to defeat a Rapid City author in the state House 104th District race.

Herb Lemcool won’t be chairman of the Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners next year.

Voters turned out some township office incumbents, but others survived close races.

Sheriff’s races across northwestern Lower Michigan involved a couple of incumbents who hung onto their seats and one who didn’t.

Challenger Richard Schmuckal — a former county commissioner — beat incumbent District 3 Commissioner William Bunek in Tuesday’s Republican primary by 11 votes.

Jack Kelly knocked out Elmwood Township’s incumbent supervisor and another Republican challenger in the primary election.

Voters terminated Lee Wilson’s 32-year reign as Garfield Township supervisor by an overwhelming margin and sent five additional incumbents packing.

Acme voters stood behind a township board bruised, battered, but unbowed by years of development battles that featured illegal efforts to oust them from office.

Challenger Thomas Bensley ousted two-term incumbent Grand Traverse County Sheriff Scott Fewins by a nearly 2-to-1 margin.

Eric Grebe single-handedly turned the race for Garfield Township treasurer into the most expensive in Grand Traverse County.

Now that Barack Obama has clinched the Democratic nomination for president, he wants convention delegates from Michigan and Florida to have full voting rights at the party's national convention.

A large number of first-time candidates wading into northern Michigan's political landscape could draw a heavier voter turnout at Tuesday's primary election, local officials said.

The answer to Michigan's faltering economy lies in breaking down Lansing's partisan gridlock, three of four Republican candidates for the 101st District House of Representatives agree.

Candidate Mike McManus is raising money like an incumbent in his second shot at the state House of Representatives, while his Republican challengers chip in their own to keep up.

The Republican primary for the 104th District state House race has been "eerily quiet" in Kalkaska and Grand Traverse counties, where author Tony Hefner of Rapid City faces Wayne Schmidt, a Grand Traverse County commissioner.

A defamation lawsuit against the Traverse City Record-Eagle by Grand Traverse County Sheriff Scott Fewins was publicly announced by Fewins' attorney Friday. The sheriff faces two opponents in his bid for re-election on next Tuesday's primary ballot.

Candidates for Leelanau County offices in next week's primary election are drawing on their experience and a desire for transparency in hopes of getting elected. Thirteen Republicans are involved in contested primary votes Tuesday. Voters also will be asked to approve a two-year, 0.375-mill levy for 911 services, a 0.5-mill levy for two years for the road commission and a six-year, 0.2421-mill levy for senior services.

Funding of fire departments, zoning issues and a general call for change generated Republican primary challenges in several Grand Traverse County townships. With few challengers lined up in November, Tuesday's Republican primary election will decide most of the contested races.

No way to run campaign; Not by accident; Holier than thou attitude; Restore integrity

Funding for emergency services, passing a new zoning ordinance and a proposed electrical substation continue to dominate the political landscape in Elmwood Township.

Letters to the Editor regarding the Aug. 5, 2008 primary election.

Jeff Morse had troubles in the past, but believes they'll help him provide well-rounded leadership if elected Benzie County sheriff. The Lake Ann native and Republican candidate pleaded no contest to a charge of domestic violence in Antrim County after he assaulted his wife in 1995.

Letters regarding the upcoming Aug. 5 primary election.

Letters to the Editor pertaining to the Aug. 5 primary election.

A crowded Republican primary ballot looms for voters in Garfield Township. This article contains biographical information for each candidate.

The challengers in Garfield Township preach for change while incumbents staunchly defend their records, some of which have been decades in the making. It's a historic moment for Garfield voters, who haven't had this many choices at the ballot box in almost half a century. Fifteen Republicans, including six incumbents, will be on the Aug. 5 primary ballot looking to fill seven seats on the township board.

Professional, efficient; Exceeds the standard; Time for a change; Influence our future; Lack of information; The 'spin' in Leelanau; Listener, communicator; Open-door policy; Ethical approach

The often bitter debate over a proposed Meijer Inc. store and other development plans along M-72 continues to cast a long shadow over Acme Township and its upcoming primary election.

A crowded Republican primary ballot awaits voters in Acme Township.

How much political courage do Michigan politicians have? Very little, and less all the time. That's the conclusion reached by Project Vote Smart, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to creating better-informed voters.

The issue: The Aug. 5 primary election Our view: This is the one that counts

The biggest -- and most welcome -- changes in Benzie County politics have come long before voters go to the polls Aug. 5. Sheriff Bob Blank, whose administration cost county taxpayers tens of thousands in lawsuits, said he would not seek re-election.

Northern Michigan voters will head to the polls Aug. 5 to choose among candidates for local, state and national office, as well as decide numerous local tax measures. This article lists all public office races in the region, as well as local millage requests.

Tom Bensley believes he can make the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Department better. Brian Weese, with no background in law enforcement, said he can't do any worse than the current sheriff. Sheriff Scott Fewins did not return several calls from the Record-Eagle seeking to discuss his candidacy.

Good government; Informed and intelligent; Integrity, heart and soul; Initiated new programs; Qualified for duties; A tireless worker; Will make changes; Three good candidates; Dedication, experience; A man of integrity; Experienced, trustworthy; Rectify the situation; Make voices heard; ecent and honorable; Experience counts; Vote experience; It's about giving back; ime for positive change; trong leadership; Vote wisely; Most qualified, certified; tireless worker; nvincible or useful? Let's end, not start wars; Hard-working, dedicated;

All three candidates for Grand Traverse County Sheriff are native-born sons who attended the same high school and two started their police careers in similar fashion.

Hundreds of northern Michigan residents are lined up as candidates on the Aug. 5 primary election ballots in counties across the region, as voters prepare to choose their party candidates for the November general election.

Voters in several northern Michigan counties have multiple choices for sheriff, but races in Antrim, Leelanau, Charlevoix and Manistee counties feature only Republican candidates, so the Aug. 5 primary election will decide who gets those jobs.

The Peninsula Township Board next month will review details of a proposed purchase and a growing group of citizens for 62 acres of rolling woodlands off Center Road, including 450 feet of East Bay frontage. The board will review a 10-year, .4-mill question for the November general election ballot to fund the natural area.

Prospective Traverse City school board members have nearly three weeks to file as a candidate for the November election.

Grand Traverse County commissioners can't order fixes to local roads, but that hasn't stopped voters from demanding commission candidates explain how they'll address all the crumbling pavement. Candidates who'll face off in the Aug. 5 primary election cited roads as the issue consistently raised by voters.

Goes above, beyond; An experienced officer; Keep open mind; Educated and qualified; Type of person needed; Corporations rule; Practical, common sense; Honesty, integrity, respect; Honesty, integrity, respect

A flurry of recent visits to Michigan by Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama likely helped the Illinois senator take a slight lead over Republican John McCain in a new poll released Thursday.

Richard Brewer is the lone candidate on the August ballot for an open six-year term on the Kalkaska County Road Commission, but he still may not get the post.

The issue: 2008 election; Our view: The more the better

Michigan Democrats picked high-ranking union officials, party activists and elected officials Saturday to fill out the state's Democratic National Convention delegation.

Behind-the-scenes negotiations are wrapping up on who will be chosen Saturday to fill the state's remaining Democratic National Convention seats.

Challengers are lining up to take on incumbent officials throughout Manistee County. The political issues vary by office, but several candidates credit a series of workshops the league hosted in October.

A flood of candidates for Garfield Township's Board of Trustees signals an abrupt change to a 30-year election tradition of lean ballots with few choices.

Open seats for the state Legislature generated multiple candidates across much of Michigan, but not in Republican-leaning Grand Traverse County.

Leelanau County voters will be asked to approve a tax for senior citizen services in the Aug. 5 primary election.

Years ago, the time-honored tradition was that Democratic presidential candidates formally kicked off their fall election campaigns in Detroit on Labor Day. But don't look for Barack Obama to show up in Detroit this fall.

This year's GOP challenge of five-term Sen. Carl Levin shapes up as another Mission Improbable, but Michigan faces some of its most spirited challenges of congressional incumbents in decades.

Juniors and seniors from Benzie Central and Frankfort high schools attended a voting rally Friday in the Benzie auditorium, where they registered to vote and met candidates for various local, state and national offices.

Elmwood Township voters will have their choice of candidates for each township office in the Aug. 5 primary.

Benzie and Manistee counties judges are up for election in November.

The issue: Benzie prosecutor fixes stepson's ticket; Our view: Need help? Call 1-800-TONY-THE-FIXER

Charlevoix resident Connie Saltonstall, a Democratic candidate for state representative in the 105th District, thinks Michigan's water is too valuable to jeopardize and she wants federal environmental officials to better study the potential effects of a deep-injection disposal well in Antrim County's Star Township.

The Aug. 5 primary election promises to feature contested races for sheriff in several area counties. A number of other county offices also have open seats.

Election information for the Aug. 5 primary for the five-county Grand Traverse region.

Michigan Democratic leaders settled Wednesday on a plan to give presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton 69 delegates and Barack Obama 59 as a way to get the delegates seated at the national convention.

Benzie County Undersheriff Rory Heckman will resign this week and focus on a run for his department's top post.

Antrim County's Sheriff's Department lacks leadership, contends former Undersheriff Dan Bean, who'll take on incumbent Sheriff Terry Johnson at the polls this year.