County clerks report high early voter turnout

MID-MICHIGAN (WNEM) – Millions of people in Michigan have already voted as we approach Election Day.

As of Monday afternoon Michigan Voting Panel reported that 44% of active registered voters in the state have already cast ballots, with 2 million voting absentee and 1.2 million voting early in person.

Michigan is on track for record high turnout this election, and Michigan’s county clerk said a fast start could help make Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 5, go smoother.

Roscommon County Clerk Michelle Stevenson said nearly half of all registered voters in the county have already voted in the November election.

“I’m very surprised. And I’m trying to remain optimistic that this will probably lead to less foot traffic on Election Day,” she said.

She said 49% of active registered voters voted early in person or absentee. Stevenson said this is a strong basis for high voter turnout.

“Our overall turnout in 2020 was 68.66%. So I think we’re going to significantly exceed that,” Stevenson said.

In the TV5 viewing area, Roscommon County has the highest percentage of active registered voters who cast ballots before Election Day, followed by Midland and Genesee counties at 43%, according to the Michigan Voting Dashboard.

“We saw over 50,000 Genesee County residents vote in person through early voting. More than 75,000 have already returned their mail-in ballots. I think this is a glimpse of how important this election is and that our community takes seriously the importance of voting in this election,” said Domonique Clemons, Genesee County Clerk and Recorder of Deeds.

That’s why Clemons believes those voting in person on Election Day will likely have a quick process through their polling place.

“We don’t expect super long lines. It should be pretty easy for people to come in, get their ballot, fill it out, put it in their car and get on with their day,” Clemons said.

Of course, that depends on whether there are periods when large groups of voters show up at the same time, Clemons said.

As for Stevenson, he told us Tuesday is the day employees across the state have been waiting for.

“I’ll get up before 6 o’clock and wait for phone calls from the clerks if they have any problems. And in my office they work from 7 am to 8 pm and beyond, in case they need to call here. The courthouse will be open in case there are any lawsuits that need to be filed on Election Day. So, it’s going to be a long day,” Stevenson said.

She said she’s not sure when unofficial results will be available in Roscommon County, but Clemons hopes unofficial results in Genesee County could be released by midnight or 1 a.m. on election night.

He believes it’s early compared to other elections where unofficial results came in around 6 or 7 a.m. the next day.

Voters in Saginaw Township told TV5 why they decided to vote early or why they will vote in person on Election Day.

“That was great. Saginaw organized everything perfectly. I drove downtown, I could park right there within walking distance, everyone was friendly, everything was fast. I walked in, voted and was out in the blink of an eye,” said Saginaw County resident Donald Stedry.

Stedry was one of 9,591 Saginaw County residents who voted early in person in the November election, according to the Michigan Voting Panel.

“It was so nice to be able to just walk in, vote and leave,” he said.

As of Monday evening, 33% of active registered voters in Saginaw County had already voted early in person or absentee.

“My job requires me to travel a lot, so it was convenient for me to vote early,” said one voter.

“There should be some opportunity for people to go out and do it because you are connected. It’s time for you to go to work, you know you have things to do in life,” another voter said.

Saginaw County resident Shelley Coffel is waiting until Tuesday to vote.

“Because I think that’s the best way to get the math right,” she said.

And she’s not alone.

“I want to be there so I can be inspired by all the people who come out to vote,” said one voter.

“I like to go to my neighbors and just check and find out the survey results. It feels like something you can’t get by just listening to the fact that people have already voted; I just love going to the polls,” said another voter.

“My husband and my son attended absentee, but I just like to come in person and make my choice,” said another voter.

“It’s probably just tradition. And I hope that everyone who voted early will not have lines tomorrow,” the voter said.

“I live in a rural area and there usually aren’t long lines and there are plenty of options,” another voter said.

No matter how you do it, local clerks encourage registered voters to make their voices heard.

If you’re voting on Tuesday and need to know where your polling station is, click Here.

Subscribe to TV5 newsletter and get the latest local news and weather delivered straight to your inbox every day.