Running for Office

How the Mayor and City Council Are Elected in Portage

The City of Portage holds a regular City election every two years, on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November of odd-numbered years.

Mayor

The Mayor is elected at large by all Portage voters.

• The Mayor serves a two-year term.
• A mayoral election is held at every regular city election.

City Council

• Portage has six City Councilmembers, all elected at large.
• Council members serve four-year terms.
• To ensure continuity, three Council seats are up for election every two years at the regular city election.

Eligibility, Nomination & Filing

• The requirements to run for Mayor and City Council are set in the City Charter. Candidates must be qualified electors and residents of the City of Portage.
• Candidates for elective office in the City of Portage must be nominated by petition and file all required documents with the City Clerk. Nominating petitions must contain 50 to 75 signatures from registered City of Portage voters. Petition packets, which include the Affidavit of Identity (PDF), are available from the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall during regular business hours.
• Once you have completed your Nominating Petitions and Affidavit of Identity, return them to the City Clerk's Office. The City Clerk will verify that you have met the requirements, and if successful, your name will be placed on the November ballot.    

Questions?

• Election-related questions should be directed to the City Clerk at cityclerk@portagemi.gov.  
• Questions about Campaign Finance should be directed to the Kalamazoo County Clerk's Office.

All dates are taken from state guidelines. The City Clerk has five business days to determine the sufficiency of petition signatures. Candidates will be notified if they do not have the required minimum of valid signatures. If the filing deadline has not passed, candidates may submit more signatures to make up the deficiency.