Detroit kicks off early voting Saturday. It goes statewide Oct. 26
- Early voting begins Saturday at 14 sites in Detroit
- On Monday, Canton Township and East Lansing will allow early voting
- Statewide, early voting is available for nine days beginning Oct. 26
Michigan’s first opportunity for early voting in a consequential presidential election begins Saturday in Detroit.
Two years after the state approved early voting, Detroit will roll it out at 14 sites. The option was first available statewide in the low-turnout February presidential primary, but this is the first real test of the system.
Already, nearly 1 million Michigan voters have returned absentee ballots, but they won’t begin being tabulated until days after the first early voting ballots are cast in Detroit.
The law requires municipalities to make early voting available for nine days before state and federal elections, but allows them to partner with other communities or their county on locations.
This year, mandatory early voting days are Oct. 26 to Nov. 3.
Detroit and two other communities are getting a head start, taking advantage of an option that allows for voting up to 28 days before elections.
East Lansing and Canton Township will begin early voting Monday.
What is early voting?
Early, in-person voting is available to Michiganders thanks to the passage of 2022’s Proposal 2, which included it among other electoral reforms.
It’s not the same as mail-in or absentee voting. Early voting allows voters to receive and cast a ballot on-site and watch as it is fed into a tabulator, unlike mail-in voting.
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The process is similar to voting in person on Election Day. Voters with absentee ballots can also turn-in an unsubmitted ballot at an early-voting site to vote in person.
Where can I vote early?
According to data obtained by Bridge, there are 499 early voting locations statewide for the upcoming election — but they aren’t evenly distributed.
Nearly half of Michigan’s counties, 37, will have just one voting site open nine days before the election. That’s up from the presidential primary, when 33 counties opted for a single early voting site. In some of Michigan’s larger, more rural counties, that can make for a long drive.
The other 46 counties will have multiple sites. Fifteen will have 10 or more locations available to voters.
Open hours at early voting sites also vary widely. Locations can be open more than eight hours a day or as few as four hours a day, so it’s best to check the state’s website to see the exact location and hours.
Editor’s note: River Rouge in Wayne County will start early in-person voting on Oct. 26. An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated when early voting begins in the city.
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