LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and more than 6,500 other residents cast their votes during the first weekend that early in person voting has been available ahead of the presidential primary.

“I was proud to cast my vote yesterday along with over 6,500 voters statewide who chose to participate in Michigan’s first day of early voting,” Secretary Benson said. “All across the state, thousands of clerks and election workers ensured the historic day was a success. I am grateful to all of them for their hard work and dedication to ensuring every voice is heard and every vote is counted in every election.”

How many voters turned out?

MORE NEWS: The System Works? Chinese Student’s Guilty Conscience Caught Cast Ballot, Not Voting Safeguards.

Poll book totals counted 6,587 voters who voted on Saturday alone across the state.

This weekend was the first opportunity Michigan has provided the option for voters to participate in early in-person voting in the state’s history according to the office of the Sec. of State, though the state is the 22nd to implement such a policy.

Early voting will be available for a total of nine consecutive days lasting until Feb. 25 according to Sec. of State Benson.

Michigan voters pass Proposal 2.

The statewide proposal passed in November 2022 and allows for nine days of early voting before each election, among other rights which became enshrined in the state constitution.

Among the new rights afforded to citizens, the state must provide the following:

  • Provide funding for prepaid return postage on absentee ballot applications and ballots.
  • Enhance the tracking system for absentee applications and ballots to permit voters to track, and to receive electronic notifications about, the status of their applications and ballots.
  • Inform voters via the enhanced tracking system of any deficiency in their ballots or applications and how they can address such issues. Voters must also be afforded an equitable opportunity to correct any signature-related issues with their ballot or ballot application.
  • Provide funding for at least one secure ballot drop-box for every jurisdiction and one drop-box for every 15,000 registered voters in larger jurisdictions.
  • Drop-boxes must be available 24/7 for the forty days prior to an election up to 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Pilot programs paved the way.

Several clerks with local elections in their jurisdictions volunteered to participate in a pilot program ahead of the 2024 Presidential Primary.

MORE NEWS: Howell’s Lewis Given Weekly Lions Coach of the Week Award

“We were honored to participate in the early voting pilot as it provided us with an opportunity to be part of the development of an exciting new voting option in Michigan,” said Delta Township Clerk Mary Clark in a statement. “You can only identify potential challenges by actually executing the process in real time. The pilot allowed that to happen and ultimately created a great, functional process.”

Michigan’s early absentee voter registration spikes.

Roughly 16% of registered voters in Michigan have applied for absentee ballots in the weeks ahead of the Presidential Primary election, according to the Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.

With Election Day this month in Michigan’s Presidential primary, almost 1.3 million voters have requested absentee ballots. That’s an 80% increase from the same time before the 2020 Presidential Primary. While absentee voting is underway according to the Sec. of State’s office, in-person early voting began statewide on Saturday, Feb. 17 and runs through Feb. 25; Election Day is Feb. 27.

“Absent voter ballot request data shows that 1,287,265 Michiganders have requested an absentee ballot as of Feb. 6,” according to Sec. Benson’s office. “As a comparison, 713,465 Michiganders had requested absentee ballots three weeks before the 2020 presidential primary.”

Absentee applications and ballots are trackable here, or by reaching out to local election clerks.

“Absentee ballots have prepaid postage and can be returned by U.S. mail,” according to the Sec. of State’s office. “Voters who still need to return their completed ballot can drop it off at their clerk’s office or designated secure ballot drop box to avoid postal delays.”

Next steps for voters.

The Sec. of State office recommends consulting here for more information about early voting and hours of early voting sites.