Michigan on pace to break voter turnout records, official says

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) said Tuesday that the Great Lake State, a critical battleground in the presidential race, is on track to break voter turnout records.

“Michiganders are already voting in record numbers. It’s a great thing for voters and for democracy,” Benson told reporters at a morning news conference in Detroit, where she noted "the eyes of the nation are on us."

“Already 45.8 percent of registered active voters in our state have voted in this election, and we’re on track to break turnout records yet again,” she said, pointing to absentee and early voting numbers.

In 2020, the state saw a 70 percent total turnout, with 5.5 million votes cast. This year, 3.3 million Michiganders had already cast their absentee or early ballots before Election Day, according to data from the secretary of state.

Roughly 234,000 additional mail ballots were sent out but had yet to be returned as of Benson's update.

Michigan is a major battleground in the White House race and could be pivotal in deciding control of both Congress and the White House. Decision Desk HQ/The Hill’s polling averages put Vice President Harris up by a fraction of a percentage point over former President Trump in the state, and both campaigns have crisscrossed Michigan in the run-up to Tuesday.

Trump flipped Michigan, which holds 15 Electoral College votes, into Republicans’ column in 2016. President Biden brought it back to Democrats in 2020.

Michigan is also the site of a critical Senate race to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow, as well as a handful of crucial House contests. Most Michigan voters have until 8 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday to drop off their ballots.

Yash Roy contributed.