One week before Election Day, Secretary Benson reminds voters they have options to make their voice heard

DETROIT, Mich. – With one week left to go before Election Day, over 709,000 Michigan voters have cast a ballot in the Primary. Of those, 10,621 turned out to vote at an early voting site during the first weekend of in-person early voting and 698,673 have submitted an absentee ballot.

“All across the state, Michigan’s dedicated clerks and election workers helped ensure that the first weekend of early voting for the Primary Election was secure and successful,” said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. “There’s still a week left for us to spread the word about early voting in Michigan and to make sure every citizen knows about this convenient option to cast your ballot in person before Election Day. Whether you choose to vote early, with an absentee ballot, or at the polls on Election Day, the process will be secure, and the results will be accurate.”

2024 is the first year with a constitutionally guaranteed minimum of nine days of in-person early voting. Early voting was approved by Michigan voters as part of Proposal 2, expanding voting rights for citizens of the state.  

Statewide Early Voting Turnout – First Weekend

As of this morning, 698,673 voters have completed their absentee ballot and submitted it to be tabulated. More than 1.6 million Michigan voters have requested an absentee ballot for this election. 

“When states like Michigan offer multiple options for a voter to cast their ballot, it leads to tremendous security benefits,” said David Becker, executive director and founder of the Center for Election Innovation and Research (CEIR). “Concentrating all voting into one 12- or 14-hour period on a single Tuesday creates a single point of potential failure for a lot of things to happen – traffic, weather, a power outage, or some kind of intentional attack on the system In Michigan, voters and election officials can spread that activity over a series of days and different options. This is why Michigan elections in 2024 are more secure than they’ve ever been." 

“We’re excited to offer even more options for voters, and we really encourage them to come out and early vote,” said Sterling Heights City Clerk Melanie Ryska. “I think all of these efforts that we’ve made in the State of Michigan – through a constitutional amendment and through the Legislature – have increased our voters’ access to the ballot box. There are so many checks and balances for every single process that makes sure that our elections are fair, and the results that we get at the end of election night actually reflect the will of the people.” 

Voters who have received but not yet returned their absentee ballot should hand deliver it to an official ballot drop box in their jurisdiction, their clerk’s office, or early voting site. Mailing ballots this close to Election Day is not recommended. With the exception of military or overseas voters, absentee ballots that are not received by 8 p.m. on Election Day will not be counted.

Voters must use a ballot drop box or early voting site in their own jurisdiction. Visit Michigan.gov/Vote to find the nearest drop box and Michigan.gov/EarlyVoting to find an early voting site.

Michiganders who are eligible to vote but not yet registered can do so in person at their clerk’s office with proof of residency now through 8 p.m. on Election Day. Voters can register and cast their ballot at the same time.   Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Election Day, Aug. 6.