Trenton voters get an August 4 ballot with a Wayne County transit millage

Trenton voters will cast ballots on Tuesday, August 4, 2026 for a primary election that includes an important Wayne County public transportation millage question. The City of Trenton’s official notice—posted June 25, 2026—lays out where to vote, the early-voting window, and the absentee deadlines. It also includes the ballot language summary for the Wayne County Transit Authority proposal.

Election Day details: where to vote and when

The primary election is scheduled for Tuesday, August 4, 2026, with voting hours set at 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the City of Trenton.

Trenton polling places are precinct-specific. The City notice lists:

• Precinct #1: Trenton City Hall, 2800 Third Street
• Precincts #2, #3, #4: Westfield Center, 2700 Westfield Road

The notice also reminds voters that they must provide appropriate photo identification or complete an affidavit in order to vote.

Early voting in Trenton: July 25 through August 2

For voters who prefer in-person early voting, the City of Trenton says it will be held at Trenton City Hall, 2800 Third Street for nine consecutive days leading up to Election Day.

Dates: Saturday, July 25, 2026 through Sunday, August 2, 2026
Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Absentee voting deadlines (from the City notice)

The City’s notice includes several absentee cutoffs, including both mail and in-person timelines:

• Clerk hours for absentee purposes: The City Clerk’s office will be open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 2, 2026.
• Deadline to obtain absentee ballots by first-class mail: Friday, August 1, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.
• In-person absentee voting deadline: voters may vote in the City Clerk’s office up to 4:00 p.m. on Monday, August 3, 2026.

The notice also states that absentee ballots may be brought in and tabulated during early voting.

Registration timing: what the Michigan Secretary of State lists

In addition to the City’s local absentee deadlines, Michigan’s Secretary of State lists statewide timing for the August election:

• MOVE deadline: June 20, 2026
• Last day to register by mail or online: July 20, 2026
• New voter registrations required in person: July 21 through August 4, 2026

Those deadlines matter because Trenton voters need to be registered in time for the ballot that includes the Wayne County transit millage question.

What’s on Trenton’s ballot: the Wayne County Public Transportation millage

Along with state and federal races, Trenton voters will see a county proposal: Wayne County Public Transportation Millage. The City’s notice describes it as a proposal that would authorize the Wayne County Transit Authority to levy a millage to fund public transportation services in Wayne County, including operating, maintaining, improving, and expanding transit services, as well as creating and expanding new fixed bus routes.

The notice also explains the proposal’s structure:

• Maximum rate: 0.9831 mills (about 0.98 cents per $1,000 of taxable value)
• Length of levy: 10 years, beginning with the 2026 tax year levy and ending with the 2035 tax year levy
• Relationship to current funding: it would replace an expiring Wayne County Transit Authority millage that supports SMART

The WCTA’s resolution to call the millage election confirms the same parameters and states that, if approved and levied, revenue would be distributed to Wayne County, SMART, the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT), and other community and regional transit providers. The resolution also says the millage proposal is submitted to voters at the August 4, 2026 primary.

On the question’s practical stakes, the WCTA’s millage overview says the measure would renew and expand public transportation services for all Wayne County communities, and that if the renewal and expansion does not pass, communities that already have SMART service would lose those services (with certain exceptions noted by the WCTA).

Quick checklist for Trenton residents

• June 20, 2026: Michigan lists the MOVE deadline
• July 20, 2026 (by mail or online): Last day to register to vote
• July 25–Aug. 2, 2026: Early voting at Trenton City Hall (9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
• Aug. 1, 2026 by 5:00 p.m.: Last day to obtain absentee ballots by first-class mail
• Aug. 3, 2026 by 4:00 p.m.: In-person absentee voting deadline
• Aug. 4, 2026: Election Day (7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.)

With both early-voting and absentee options available, the main issue for voters is timing—especially the absentee mail request deadline and the last-day registration cutoff.

Sources

• City of Trenton — Notice of Primary Election (posted June 25, 2026)
• Wayne County Transit Authority — Resolution to Call a Millage Election (ballot language)
• Michigan Secretary of State — Elections (important dates for Aug. 4, 2026)

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