Dear Friends,

Welcome to this month’s edition of my e-newsletter. It is an honor to serve the people of Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties as your voice in the Michigan Senate.

The goal of this e-newsletter is to help keep you informed about what’s happening in the 16th Senate District, in Lansing and across our state. I will also be sharing the latest information on my official Senate Facebook page. If you have any questions or need to get in contact with me, feel free to call my office toll-free at 855-347-8016 or via email at SenJBellino@senate.michigan.gov.

Working for you,

Joseph Bellino, Jr.
State Senator

Michigan voters have several ways to cast their ballots, including early voting from Oct. 24 through Nov. 1.

Voters can also request an absentee ballot. Except for military and overseas voters, mailed absentee ballots must be received by the voter’s local clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day. To avoid postal delays, voters who have not returned their ballot should hand-deliver it in its signed and sealed envelope to their clerk’s office or an assigned ballot drop box as soon as possible. Voters can also return their ballot to their early voting site or polling place on Election Day.

During the 14 days before an election and on Election Day, residents can register in person at their local clerk’s office by providing proof of residency.

Visit the Michigan Voter Information Center to find early voting locations, dates and times, check your registration status or view a sample ballot.

On Tuesday, Nov. 3, you will be able to play an important role in establishing Michigan public policy. Along with the opportunity to select candidates for public office, two statewide ballot proposals will be presented for your consideration.

To help familiarize you with the proposals, the image below contains the actual language that will appear on the ballot, although it may be presented in a different format.

There may be other local or regional ballot questions as well, depending on where you live.

The Federal Trade Commission received more than 40,000 fraud reports involving gift cards and prepaid cards in 2024, with losses totaling more than $200 million. Some scams involve criminals tricking victims into buying gift cards and sharing the card numbers and PINs. In another scheme, known as card draining, criminals steal card information before purchase, wait for someone to buy the card and spend the funds before the legitimate buyer can use them.

Earlier this year, the Legislature passed a bipartisan package of bills to combat gift card fraud. The governor has signed the bills into law.

Public Acts 109 and 110 will make illegal:

Violations are felonies punishable by up to five years in prison, a $5,000 fine or both.

A 60-foot spruce from Iron Mountain in the Upper Peninsula has been selected as Michigan’s official 2026 Christmas tree. It is expected to arrive in downtown Lansing on Saturday, Nov. 7, and will be placed near the intersection of Capitol and East Michigan avenues for the holiday season.

The Larry Riccio family donated this year’s tree. It is the second tree from Iron Mountain to serve as the state Christmas tree since the tradition began in 1987. The spruce will be the centerpiece of the 42nd annual Silver Bells in the City tree-lighting ceremony on Friday, Nov. 20.

Michigan summers get plenty of attention, but fall offers its own opportunities to explore the state.

Use the Pure Michigan fall color map to find peak fall colors. Along the way, visit a cider mill, explore a pumpkin patch or enjoy the scenery at a state park.

Call my office at (517) 373-5932 or by email at SenJBellino@senate.michigan.gov to request a copy of the 2026 Pure Michigan Fall/Winter Travel Guide for more ideas for family outings and seasonal activities.