DETROIT (WWJ) Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson joined nearly 6,600 voters across Michigan who cast a ballot in the Presidential Primary on the first day of early voting.
“I was proud to cast my vote yesterday along with over 6,500 voters statewide who chose to participate in Michigan's first day of early voting,” Secretary Benson said in a press release. “All across the state, thousands of clerks and election workers ensured the historic day was a success. I am grateful to all of them for their hard work and dedication to ensuring every voice is heard and every vote is counted in every election.”
Friday (2/17) marked the first day of early voting where 6,587 Michigan residents cast their ballots, according to the poll books.
Early voting will remain open for a total of nine days in a row through February 25th.
Michigan has never before had the option to cast a ballot in person at an early voting site in a statewide election. At least nine days of early voting for statewide and federal elections is now a constitutional requirement after the passage of Proposal 2 in 2022.
Other aspects of Proposal 2 include” counting absentee ballots of military members and Americans living overseas if “properly completed and postmarked by Election Day”; “prepaid ballot postage and a state-funded ballot tracking notification system,”; accessibility to ballot drop boxes; and using a Photo ID or “signed affidavit to verify voter identity.” See the full proposal here.
To learn more about early voting, including locations and hours of early voting sites, visit Michigan.gov/EarlyVoting.
Voters can check their registration, track their absentee ballot, and learn more about voting in the Feb. 27 Presidential Primary at Michigan.gov/Vote.