Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson says based on how the August primary went this week, changes are needed before the November general election.
Benson says 1.6 million Michiganders voted absentee in Tuesday’s primary. That's a new record topping the record of 1.3 million from November 2016.
She’s expecting that number to rise to 2.5 million for the presidential election.
The count released Thursday surpassed the previous record of 2.2 million from 2018, when — unlike Tuesday — there were contested statewide contests for governor and U.S. Senate. Nearly one-third of the state’s voting-age population participated.
Benson says election workers will need more time and resources to process all those ballots.
“If there is no change in the law, it will likely be well into Friday or potentially the weekend before we can get results...in the closest races in our state,” Benson says.
More than 10,000 absentee ballots were rejected, including many that arrived after the voting deadline at 8PM on election day.
Benson wants state law changed to allow absentee ballots mailed before the deadline to be counted.
