LANSING, Mich. — More than 1.7 million Michiganders had already voted by Thursday, five days before the Nov. 3 general election, according to the latest count from the Michigan Secretary of State.
The state tallied 1,704,715 ballots, which works out to 23% of the 7,412,507 active registered voters. Returned absentee ballots made up most of that total at 1,346,372, while 358,343 people voted in person at early voting sites.
The pace has picked up quickly. On Monday the share stood at 16.4%. By Tuesday it was 18.8%, when 1,392,170 people had voted, including 215,795 early in-person ballots. Early in-person turnout grew by about 140,000 over the next two days.
Absentee voting is also running ahead of the last midterm. Four years ago, roughly 1.13 million absentee ballots were back by the same date. Requests are up too, with over 2.15 million this cycle against about 1.9 million in 2022. A bigger early vote does not guarantee a bigger overall turnout, since some of it reflects voters choosing to vote sooner.
This is the first midterm general election in which every Michigan community offers early in-person voting, an option voters added to the state constitution in 2022. Statewide early voting opened Saturday and runs through Sunday, Nov. 1, with some places adding hours Monday.
No ballots get tabulated by clerks until voting ends at 8 p.m. on Election Day. Absentee ballots must be in a clerk’s hands by that deadline, so officials suggest using a drop box or delivering them in person rather than mailing them now. Polling places open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m., and a handful of Upper Peninsula counties keep Central time.
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