Birmingham and Bloomfield area voters head to the polls today, Tuesday, Aug. 4, for a primary election that will shape races for governor, U.S. Senate, Congress, and the state Legislature. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

Here's what local voters need to know.

Pick one party

Michigan's primary is partisan. Voters must choose either the Democratic or Republican ballot and vote only within that party. Splitting between parties invalidates the partisan portion of the ballot, a mistake that affects thousands of ballots each primary, according to Fox 2 Detroit.

Governor

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited, making this the first open governor's race since 2018.

Republicans: U.S. Rep. John James of Shelby Township, who has President Trump's endorsement, faces Bloomfield Hills businessman Perry Johnson. Johnson has spent nearly $30 million of his own money on the race, according to Bridge Michigan. Former Attorney General Mike Cox and state Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt suspended their campaigns but still appear on the ballot.

Democrats: Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson faces Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson. Benson leads fundraising with a $6.4 million war chest.

U.S. Senate

Sen. Gary Peters of Bloomfield Township is retiring after two terms, leaving the seat open for the first time since 2014.

Democrats: U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens of Birmingham, a four-term congresswoman, faces former Wayne County Health Director Abdul El-Sayed of Ann Arbor in what WDET reports is the second most expensive Democratic Senate primary ever, with nearly $70 million spent. Stevens has the backing of Gov. Whitmer, Peters, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. El-Sayed is endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and the United Auto Workers. State Sen. Mallory McMorrow of Royal Oak suspended her campaign July 5 but her name remains on the ballot.

Cook Political Report rates the general election as a toss-up. Former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers of White Lake Township is unopposed on the Republican side.

U.S. House, 11th District

Stevens' Senate bid leaves an open seat in the 11th Congressional District, which covers Birmingham, Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills, Troy, Farmington Hills, Pontiac, Royal Oak, and other central Oakland County communities.

Democrats: State Sen. Jeremy Moss of Bloomfield Township leads fundraising with $1.49 million raised as of July 15, according to Michigan Advance. He faces attorney Aisha Farooqi of Troy, court administrator John Paul Torres of Waterford, and retired Ford engineer Don Ufford of Bloomfield, who raised $1 million over the same period.

"This is a district with the highest concentration of Jewish residents in our state and I'm obviously a proud Jewish Michigander," Moss told Michigan Advance on July 30, responding to rivals who accused him of ties to AIPAC donors. "It's really shameful to mischaracterize all of my Jewish supporters as a part of a PAC conspiracy."

Republican: Troy Mayor Ethan Baker is unopposed. The district is considered solidly Democratic.

State Senate, District 7

Moss is term-limited in the state Senate, and his congressional run opens the District 7 seat covering Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, Pontiac, Southfield, and Auburn Hills.

Democrats: State Rep. Jason Hoskins of Southfield, architect and real estate broker Shadia Martini of Bloomfield Township, and orthopedic spine surgeon Rakesh Ramakrishnan of Birmingham.

Republican: Attorney Anthony Paesano of Bloomfield Hills is unopposed.

State House, District 54

The 54th District covers parts of Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, Auburn Hills, Oakland Township, and Orion Township.

Republicans: Roman Gaskey of Lake Orion, a business intelligence analyst, faces Jeffrey Omtvedt of Bloomfield Hills, a former Oxford Township trustee and CEO of Detroit Taco Company.

Democrat: Sarah Pounds of Lake Orion, who chairs YIMBY Oakland County, is unopposed.

Ballot proposals

Bloomfield Township voters face two local millage renewals: a road maintenance millage of up to 0.6575 mills for 10 years, raising $3.9 million in year one, and a public safety millage of 1.8428 mills for 10 years for police and fire services, raising $11 million in year one, according to the Detroit Free Press.

All Oakland County voters will decide on a countywide school enhancement millage: 1.5 mills for six years, raising an estimated $125.8 million in the first year. That works out to about $225 per year for a home valued at $300,000, distributed at $781 per pupil to all 28 public school districts, including Birmingham Public Schools and Bloomfield Hills Schools. Oakland County is the only county in Michigan without such a millage, Bridge Michigan reports.

How to vote

Same-day registration is available today at your local clerk's office with proof of residency. Oakland County voters can verify registration, view sample ballots, and find polling locations at elections.oaklandcountymi.gov.