Early Data Shows Where in Oakland County Early Voting & Absentee Are Catching On Fastest
(Kurt Metzger, Feb. 22, 2024)
Oakland County, MI – Registered voters in Michigan have no excuse to not vote beyond their personal decision.
In the 2018 election, Michigan voters approved Proposal 3, a wide-ranging constitutional amendment that allows people to register and vote on the day on an election, request absentee ballots without having to give a reason and cast straight-ticket ballots. The measure also automatically registers people to vote when they obtain or renew a driver’s license or conduct some other type of business with the secretary of state’s office, unless they opt out. In 2022, Michigan voters expanded access further by passing Proposal 2, instituting a constitutionally guaranteed minimum of nine days of in-person early voting.
The Michigan Secretary of State’s Office has provided data files on both methods, in order to provide absentee ballot comparisons between the Presidential Primary turnouts in 2020 and 2024, and to gauge the popularity of first-time early voting.
Here is a brief overview of what Oakland County voters are doing by community. Overall, Oakland County registered voters requested 74,385 (49.7%) more absentee ballots one week before the 2024 Presidential Primary than they did one week out in 2020. While return of these ballots is rather slow (57.8 percent returned to date), total returns are still up by 39.7 percent.
At the community level, only Addison Township voters requested fewer absentee ballots than in 2020, and three communities, Northville, Addison and Keego Harbor, have had fewer absentee ballots returned than in 2020. The chart below provides a view of those communities that have experienced a doubling or more (Birmingham’s returns are more than 10 times higher) of their 2020 totals.
Early voting began on Saturday, February 16, and the Secretary of State has provided totals for the first three days…through Presidents’ Day. A total of 2,319 Oakland County voters took advantage of the opportunity. While the top communities mirrored the rank of total registered voters, 8 communities, led by Rochester Hills, Troy and West Bloomfield Township, had over 100 early voters (Rochester Hills was the only one to surpass 200). Seventeen communities had less than 10 early voters, with four of these – the small communities of Novi Township, Lake Angelus, Sylvan Lake and Royal Oak Township had none.
Voters who have received but not yet returned their absentee ballot should hand deliver it to an official ballot drop box, their clerk’s office, or early voting site in their jurisdiction. Mailing ballots this close to Election Day is not recommended. All absentee ballots must be received at clerk’s offices or drop boxes by 8 p.m. on Election Day or they will not be counted.
Voters must bring their ballot to a drop box or early voting site in their jurisdiction. Find your drop box at Michigan.gov/Vote or your early voting site at Michigan.gov/EarlyVoting.
Michiganders who are eligible to vote but not yet registered can do so in person at your local clerk’s office with proof of residency now through 8 p.m. on Election Day. You can cast your ballot at the same time.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Election Day, Feb. 27.
