Election 2020 In Michigan: Presidential Race, Senate Race, More
MICHIGAN — Election Day is Tuesday, but this year it will be a little different in Michigan, where a record number of people have already voted through early and mail-in voting. The influx of early voters came in part due to the coronavirus pandemic, as people taking extra precautions to avoid spreading the virus are set on avoiding the polls altogether.
In Michigan, more than 2.5 million people have voted early, according to the U.S. Elections Project. More than 3.2 million early ballots were requested through mail.
The state has seen an uptick in recent COVID-19 cases ahead of the election. On Saturday, the state reported its highest single-day increase in cases, adding over 3,700. More than 178,000 people have tested positive for the virus in Michigan, according to state health officials.
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The state’s 16 electoral college votes are critical in deciding whether President Donald Trump wins a second term in the White House or if Democratic challenger and former Vice President Joe Biden can ascend to the presidency.
The latest polling average from RealClearPolitics shows Biden up by 5.1 points in Michigan, a state that Trump won narrowly in 2016 over Hillary Clinton, winning by nearly 11,000 votes. Both Biden and Trump hit the campaign trail hard in Michigan in the final weeks of the campaign, with Biden making stops in Oakland County, Flint and other parts of Metro Detrit and Trump holiding rallies in Lansing, Waterford Township, Macomb County and scheduled to make appearances in Traverse City and Grand Rapids on Monday.
Patch will be bringing you live results for the presidential race in Michigan. Check back here when polls close for links to our live updating results from election night.
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Election night results in Michigan may not be available until the early morning hours on Wednesday since clerks in Michigan are not permitted to count ballots received via mail prior to Election Day.
More than 2.6 million Michigan citizens have already voted in the Nov. 3 election. That’s more than half the 5.08 million total turnout in the 2008 presidential election, which was the highest turnout in Michigan history, according to the Michigan Secretary of State office.
Due to no early counting period being allotted to Michigan clerks, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said this close to Election Day, voters should not mail absentee ballots or request that they are mailed to them. Voters may give their ballot to immediate family or a member of their household to drop off for them. All ballots must be received by the voter’s city or township clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3.
The presidential race is not the only election on the ballot voters in Michigan will decide Tuesday. Voters will also be deciding a key Senate race between incumbent Democrat Gary Peters and Republican John James. There also are several other congressional seats being contested during this election cycle.
Below are the races Patch will be updating live on election night:
Presidential Race
U.S. Senate (Peters Vs. James)
Oakland County Prosecutor
U.S. House of Representatives
Check back here when the polls close for live updating results.
This article originally appeared on the Detroit Patch
