Hello, Michigan. Hayley here, hoping you’re staying warm.

Before we dive into today’s newsletter, I wanted to share that it’s a very important time of year here: Votebeat’s end-of-year campaign starts this week! We’re aiming to raise $7,500 by December 31 to fuel the work that we do into 2026.

It’s been a tumultuous year, but our organization and this newsletter were built for moments like these: keeping our community informed and connected in times of turmoil, change, or uncertainty. If at any point this year, this newsletter or the work of my team and I have given you useful insight or new information, please consider making a donation today. Any amount helps, thanks to the power of collective support.

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Thank you for your support of what we do. Now, on to today’s newsletter.

We have mostly made it to the other side of the election! Not all the way — canvassing isn’t over yet — but across the state, we’re beginning to finalize results. I’m actually on my way to a board of canvassers meeting later today.

I published a story yesterday about the latest drama in Hamtramck. It appears City Clerk Rana Faraj is on leave this week, which is noteworthy because it comes at the same time the city is dealing with more than three dozen ballots that were not properly tabulated on election night.

I learned about Faraj’s absence Tuesday morning, which you may remember was also Veterans’ Day. The first thing I did was call people at the state and a variety of local offices — most of whom weren’t even working because of the holiday. I’m lucky they answered my questions to the best of their ability, but I struggled to get more information. My phone logs looked bananas as I called anyone and everyone who might know something.

There’s nothing wrong with using trustworthy reporting from others as a jumping-off point, but I needed to confirm Faraj’s leave myself. So yesterday, I drove to Hamtramck and bothered a number of city officials there until I got something a lot closer to an answer. I left numerous voicemails for city administration and even showed up to their (key card access only) office to ask additional questions. I had probably four separate conversations with the city’s deputy clerk, Abe Siblani. I wrote most of the story from my car in the parking lot of Hamtramck City Hall.

The end result doesn’t have every answer (believe me, I tried!!), but it gets a lot closer. I learned a lot, and what I could independently verify ended up in the story. A lot of journalism is showing up, over and over, and making phone calls you know no one will answer. It’s fun and satisfying and annoying and informative. Not to get all sappy, but it’s such a pleasure to do this work in my home state.

If you know someone else who might appreciate election news combined with an occasional look behind the curtain, please encourage them to subscribe to this newsletter. I love all your questions and comments and concerns and ideas, so please keep those coming at [email protected]. 

I don’t expect to send you another newsletter before Thanksgiving, so let me take this chance to say: I wish you and yours a very lovely holiday. I’m grateful for your readership and for your thoughts and ideas.

And now, the bunnies:

My aunt recently suggested they look like slippers, and I’m starting to think she may be right.