Election Officials Prepare For Stronger Voter Turnout Due To Close Races

DETROIT (WWJ) - Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey is predicting a larger than usual turnout this election cycle.

Winfrey says she expects roughly a 40 percent turnout Tuesday.

She says about 56,000 absentee ballots were requested, and about 30,000 of those have been returned.

"Including the proposals ... times the polling locations will be open, the I.D. requirement and the like," said Winfrey. "Every last one of our supervisors or I should say at least one supervisor at every one of our polling locations will have this app."

The name of the app: Vote4Detroit. Winfrey says it will let the user know where they go to vote, where the polling location is, and it tells them exactly what's on the ballot.

Winfrey says it's a free download on smartphones.

Director of Elections, Will Wesley, describes what Detroiters can expect to see on the ballot this year.

"There will be a straight party contest on the ballot and with the straight party contest - it means that if you select a particular party - then all of the candidates that are in that party will receive a vote. With the general election and the straight party contest -- mixed voting is allowed."

The 2010 gubernatorial election saw 31 percent of eligible voters turning out at the polls.

Find your precinct [here].