Reporter’s notebook: Here’s what the vibe was like at polling places across Michigan

Michiganders are showing up to elect the next president of the United States—and bringing the good vibes with them.

MICHIGAN—Election Day is nearly finished in Michigan. And at polling locations across the state, our reporters encountered a wide variety of enthusiastic voters and good vibes.

With about three hours to go until polls close, election officials have reported quick lines and smooth sailing at voting precincts statewide—including at more than a dozen voting sites that were visited by our reporters in Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Lansing, among other cities.

“Turnout is off the charts. All across Michigan,” wrote Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson on social media a little before 5 p.m. “That’s it that’s the tweet.”

“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. This year, there are about 7.3 million total eligible registered voters in the Mitten.

Polls are open until 8 p.m. 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. Absentee ballots must also be received by election officials (or returned to a dropbox) by 8 p.m. today, Nov. 5.

(Click here to find voting sites, clerks’ offices, and dropboxes.)

With millions more Michiganders voting in person at the polls on Election Day, Benson said that the state’s election officials are expecting to break records again this year. Michigan’s full preliminary election results, however, may not arrive until as late as Wednesday. 

In Detroit…

Lines moved quickly throughout the morning to late-afternoon at several of the Motor City’s busier polling locations, including at Cass Technical High School, the Detroit School of Arts, the Northwest Activities Center, and the Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ.

Of more than three dozen voters who were approached by our team for interviews near polling sites, only one voter said they supported ex-President Donald Trump. Each of the others told The ‘Gander they voted for Vice President Kamala Harris—and cited a wide variety of reasons for doing so.

“I don’t know too much, but I feel like Kamala Harris looks out for the community and the middle class—and that can really help,” Cortez Cooper, a first-time voter, told The ‘Gander. 

Of the millions of Michiganders who voted early this year, at least 500,000 of them did not vote in the 2020 presidential election, according to state data. Election officials expect those younger, first-time voters to play a significant role in shaping this year’s election results.

“From the very beginning, [Harris] was the most qualified candidate in the race. …I hope that we have the opportunity to wake up tomorrow and move forward in the coming days,” said Nia Batts, who voted at Cass Tech. “We have certainly seen what happens if we don’t participate in the process and we don’t hold people accountable. Ultimately, this is really not as much a vote for the president as much as it’s a vote for a future and a world that we all want to live in.”

Several voters cited Harris’ plans to bring down the cost of living, ban corporate price gouging on groceries, and make housing, health care, and childcare more affordable nationwide. Other voters cited her plans to cut taxes for workers, middle-class families, and small businesses.

Turrell Bullared, a longtime Detroit resident, said he can trust a future Harris-Walz administration to enact meaningful federal legislation that lowers his everyday expenses—namely because the Biden-Harris administration has already been doing that for his family for the last four years. 

“Also, I was just so glad to see a politician on the TV who was smiling and full of joy,” Bullared said. “They’re fighting and cussing every time you turn on the TV, but [Harris] is laughing and smiling. You just don’t see that nowadays. Everyone is just so mean and nasty all of the time.”

Sharon Martin, a Detroiter who voted absentee this year, told The ‘Gander that she cast a ballot for Harris this year because of the Vice President’s steadfast support for reproductive rights, as well as her proposal to provide $25,000 in federal down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers.

“I just love her all the way around. It’s her demeanor. It’s something about her. It’s not just what she says she’s going to do for us, but it just seems like she’s real truthful,” Martin said. 

In Lansing…

In-between classes, Michigan State University students still found time to make their voices heard at the polls.

“Voting isn’t about which candidate you like best—it’s about what country you’re going to like best. Honestly, I feel like Kamala Harris and the country she will run will be a more productive and healthier country,” said student Addie Tussing.

The basement of the MSU Student Union welcomed Spartans as they eagerly lined up to cast their ballots. Students could be heard on cell phones talking about the time left for friends to register and vote—which can still happen at various locations around campus.

Roughly 6,500 people went to MSU’s Jenison Field House on Sunday, where Vice President Harris held one of her final campaign rallies. An additional 4,000 people were in an overflow area outside.

In Grand Rapids…

On a campus covered in GOTV signs, Grand Valley State University students were fired up on Election Day.

“Voting matters because you are the only person who is 100% of the time guaranteed to have your own interests at the forefront of your mind,” said Isa Grunwaldt. “You are the only person who can always advocate for yourself. So you use your vote to advocate for yourself.”

Near a Harris-Walz table on campus, students shared that they voted with passers-by, encouraging others to do the same. Student Isaiah said it doesn’t matter who you vote for—just vote.

“So everyone has a voice no matter what happens. For the next four years, a lot can happen. We can get any new Supreme Court justices, or someone can step down, all of that crazy stuff could happen just in four years,” he said. “I really encourage everyone who wants their voice to be heard to go out and vote.”

READ MORE: Michiganders on the verge of setting another record for voter turnout 

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Follow Political Correspondent Kyle Kaminski here.