Michiganders on the verge of setting another record for voter turnout 

Early, in-person voting and mail-in absentee ballots are making it easier than ever for Michiganders to participate in this year’s election, said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. 

DETROIT—With millions of Michiganders voting in person on Election Day, during the state’s early voting period, or through mail-in absentee voting, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said the state of Michigan is on pace to shatter voter turnout records set during the 2020 election.

At a press conference in Detroit on Tuesday morning, Benson reportedly estimated that the state of Michigan is set to surpass the record-breaking 5.5 million votes that were tracked statewide in the 2020 matchup between President Joe Biden and ex-President Donald Trump.

“Michiganders are already voting in record numbers,” Benson told reporters during the mid-morning Election Day press briefing. “It’s a great thing for voters and for democracy.”

More than 3.2 million Michiganders already voted—either through early voting or mail-in, absentee ballots—before polls opened on Tuesday morning. That includes nearly 500,000 Michiganders who did not vote in the 2020 presidential election, according to state data. 

And with millions more voters headed to the polls to vote in person on Election Day this year, Benson said that the state’s election officials are expecting to break records again this year.

“People are engaged and people know the rules, which is that today is the last day to vote in this election. And whether people choose to vote in person here at precincts or return their ballot at a local drop box, it’s going to be a celebratory day, a hopeful day and a day where we can be proud that so many people are participating in our election,” Benson told reporters on Tuesday.

Already—and without tracking today’s in-person votes—the state is tracking a voter turnout rate of nearly 46%, according to state data. In 2020, the state tracked a turnout rate of about 71%. 

The state’s highest-ever voter turnout was in 1960, when about 73% of registered voters cast their ballots, according to reports in Bridge Michigan. 

Polls are open until 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Voters who are in line by 8 p.m. will be permitted to vote. 

Eligible voters can still register to vote at their local clerk’s office—and then vote—until 8 p.m. on Election Night. Absentee ballots must also be received by election officials (or returned to a dropbox) by 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Click here to find voting sites, clerks’ offices, and dropboxes.

“No matter how you choose to cast your ballot, your voice is your vote and your vote is your power,” Benson said in a video posted to social media shortly after polls opened on Tuesday morning. “Make sure you use it today and help us define the future of our country together.” 

READ MORE: 5 Things to Know on Election Day in Michigan

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Follow Political Correspondent Kyle Kaminski here.