It Could Be Friday Before All Michigan Ballots Can Be Counted, Benson Says
By Kelly Fisher
November 3, 2020
Officials are urging patience as the brace for ballot-counting to take longer than usual this election.
On Tuesday (November 3), Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said it could be Friday (November 6) before all of the ballots can be counted, though she told Local4 that her office would have a better idea after 8 p.m., when the polls close.
Benson said Tuesday that 3.1 million Michigan residents — about three times the number during the 2016 election — have already cast an absentee ballot, which are being counted statewide today. Polling places have been moving voters along, keeping lines short, she said.
Report from the ground in Michigan:
— Jocelyn Benson (@JocelynBenson) November 3, 2020
✅ 3.1 million voters have voted absentee.
✅Those ballots are currently being counted across the state.
✅ All precincts opened on time, welcoming a steady stream of voters - no crowds, no lines.
✅ People are proud and determined to vote.
Election officials have been urging patience, preparing for the influx of mail-in ballots.
“Today we are on track to seeing record breaking turnout overall,” Benson said.
Benson is also speaking out against voter intimidation, noting that It’s illegal and will be prosecuted.
"The bottom line is that voter intimidation is illegal and it will be charged and prosecuted in our state to the fullest extent of the law," Benson said. Officials are “ready to swiftly respond to and address any instances of threats of intimidation. The idea that any voter should be fearful as they prepare to cast their votes for the leader of the free world is antithetical to everything our democracy stands for."
She encouraged citizens to seek verified information sources when tuning in for election results.
Photo: Getty Images