LANSING, MI. — The Michigan Secretary of State’s Office reported a record-breaking May 5 election with nearly double the votes of typical May elections.
State officials said nearly 25% of eligible voters participated in the nearly 50 elections in 33 counties and 200 municipalities on Tuesday, May 5, 2020. About 99% if those voters cast absentee ballots.
“It was a very inspiring day,” said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. “And it went even better than expected. Our local election officials deserve tremendous credit for their ability to administer a safe, successful election under unprecedented circumstances — Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson
Benson said her team is working to take the data and lessons learned from this election to determine the best and safest way to proceed in the August and November elections.
«The record-breaking high turnout in yesterday’s local elections is a testament to their efforts, and underscores how deeply committed Michigan citizens are to weighing in on the critical issues facing their communities and our society, even during a pandemic,» she said. «Voters know how important it is to maintain our democratic institutions in times of crisis, and the data from yesterday proves that.”
All Michigan voters have the right to vote from home and the ability to receive absentee applications mailed to them. Those interested in joining the permanent absent voter application list can sign up at Michigan.gov/Vote by entering their name, birthday and zip code to find their registration, then clicking the green button to join the list.
