Early voting has begun in almost all 50 states ahead of Election Day on November 5th. Just days after Georgia shattered its first day of early voting record with over 304,000 votes tabulated, Michigan showed them up by breaking its own record by even more.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson tweeted on Saturday that over one million votes had been cast in the key swing state, with an additional 2.2 million awaiting their ballots by mail. Some 55 percent of those mail-in ballots were sent to registered Democrats, while only 35 percent went to Republicans. Another 10 percent went to voters registered with another or no political party.
The early voting turnout was predicted to be larger than 2020's then-record numbers, but 2024 has already surpassed all expectations. It's encouraging news for Democrats, who have historically voted early, versus most Republicans who prefer to vote on Election Day at the polls.
Wayne County, which includes Detroit, is leading the way in returning postal ballots, with 145,000 of its 347,500 requested ballots already being returned. The city has long been a Democratic stronghold and was essential to President Joe Biden's win in Michigan in the last election.
But it could be Donald Trump's recent comments maligning Detroit while giving speeches in the Motor City that decides Michigan's vote.
Conversely, Vice President Kamala Harris has spent a significant amount of time in Detroit taking her economic plan to Black entrepreneurs, specifically Black men. She was back in Detroit to campaign with Lizzo on Saturday.