Early Voting Underway At Detroit Department Of Elections

DETROIT (WWJ) - Hundreds of voters are taking advantage of the state of Michigan's lenient absentee voting policy.

Most people talking to WWJ Newsradio 950's Florence Walton said they were just looking to avoid long lines on Election Day, Nov. 6.

Detroiter Alice Thompson said she votes by absentee ballot every election. WWJ caught up with her dropping off her ballot at the Detroit Department of Elections, where there was a flurry of activity.

"I'm very surprised and happy (to see it so busy) ... I saw it this active four years ago when I dropped mine off," Thompson said, who shared her reason for voting early.

"I wanted to be able to assist my neighbors in getting to the polls on Election Day, so I wanted to get my vote out early to help my neighbors get our early on the day of elections," he said.

Grayton Little will be working at the polls on Nov. 6, so the option to vote ahead of time worked for him. "So it's a lot easier and more convenient for me to vote early and make sure my vote counts," said Little. "It took me about 45 minutes. There were a lot of proposals to read. I didn't realize there were that many on the ballot."

Registered voters in Detroit can vote Monday through Saturday at the Detroit Department Of Elections on West Grand Blvd. and at the Wayne County Community College western and eastern campuses.

Absentee ballots in Michigan are not counted until the polls close on election night.

Secretary of State Ruth Johnson is encouraging Michigan voters to go online to view their sample ballot prior to the Nov. 6 general election in order to help keep Election Day lines short. Visit this link.