Michigan Votes

Yes, primary elections are still going on. Last week, Michigan completed theirs with a record 1.6 million people voting by mail. What was successful in Michigan and what wasn’t? And what does all of this mean for the upcoming November general election? Here, Election Central takes a closer look. 

High Voter Turnout 

In 2018 Michigan voters approved Proposal 3, which did two things: it gave voters the right to same-day registration, and allowed for no-reason absentee ballots. Same-day registration means that you don’t have to register to vote in advance of voting day; you can register the day of, and vote at the same time. No-reason absentee ballots means that anyone can apply for an absentee ballot, without stating a reason for wanting one. Both measures are aimed at increasing voter turnout. 

Last week, Michigan saw 3,600 same-day registrations and a record number of absentee ballots. All in all, many Michigan counties saw a record voter turnout, with numbers significantly higher than the 2016 primary election. 

Voting by Mail 

Proposal 3 wasn’t the only reason for the huge uptick in absentee ballots. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, many voters are unable or unwilling to cast their ballots in person. In addition, there are many people—such as seniors, people with disabilities, and people without access to reliable transportation—who rely on absentee voting because of their difficulties faced when voting in person. For all of these reasons, voting by mail is essential to making sure that every voice is heard. 

But at the same time, a huge number of absentee ballots can cause unique challenges at certain polling places. While some are equipped to handle thousands of votes by mail, others are not. That’s especially true now when many polling places are short on staff due to COVID-19. Because of this, in Michigan, many races weren’t officially called until the following day.  

The Problem of Election Workers 

Many election workers chose to stay home on the day of the primary due to fears surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. Those who did work were often younger and less experienced. (Longtime polling place workers are often retired and don’t have work obligations during voting hours. But their age places them higher risk of infection.) In some places, particularly Detroit, there simply weren’t enough workers, causing some polling places to delay opening for up to an hour. In other places, polling places had to be moved due to a lack of people to staff them.  

According to experts, the takeaway from this is that states need to over-recruit poll workers well in advance of Election Day in November. They also need to do a better job communicating with voters about any changes to their polling places. 

What Were the Results? 

Eventually, however, the primary votes were counted. In the state’s most high-profile Congressional race, in District 13, incumbent Rashida Tlaib beat Brenda Jones, the president of Detroit City Council, by a margin of almost two-to-one. Democrats hope that a strong turnout for Tlaib last week will translate to a strong turnout in the area for Biden in November.  

Meanwhile, in other important Michigan races, both Republican John James and Democrat Gary Peters won their respective U.S. Senate races. In the 3^rd Congressional District, Peter Meijer–an Iraq War veteran–won the Republican nomination by a large margin. In the 8^th Congressional District, Democrat Elissa Slotkin–who helped flip the 8^th District from Republican to Democrat in 2018–will face Republican Paul Junge, a former TV anchor, in November. And in the 12^th District, Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell won reelection (with more than 80% of the vote) in a district which has been represented by a Dingell in Congress for 87 years. 

Dig Deeper Go online to research the current voting laws in your state concerning voting remotely. What is the absentee voting policy? Does your state have same-day registration or no-reason absentee ballots? Write a short paragraph describing what you learn.