It’s election day and voting is underway in Michigan. Polls opened at 7 this morning.
To get a look at how the state has prepared for the day, and when people can see results, WKAR's Melorie Begay spoke with Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
Interview Highlights
On potential impact of early and absentee voting
"Of the 2 million Michiganders who voted from home and returned their ballot, the fact that over 80% have already got their ballots back, which is twice the number we usually see around this time, is quite extraordinary. And so it shows voters are really enthusiastic, very energized, ready to vote."Jocelyn Benson
On security measures
"Hundreds of challengers and observers from both parties are in place in every place where a ballot is being cast or tabulated, and that helps ensure that people can have rightly placed faith in the process."Jocelyn Benson
On when voters can expect results
"In 2020, we had those statewide election results within 24 hours after the polls closing, we expect to beat that record and have them sooner this time around, but we'll be providing an update at 9:00 p.m. tonight once all the polls close."
Interview Transcript:
Melorie Begay: It's Election Day and voting is underway in Michigan. Polls opened at 7am this morning. I'm here with Secretary of State, Jocelyn Benson, to talk about expectations for the day and when we can expect to see results. Thanks for being here this morning.
Jocelyn Benson: Thanks for having me, happy election day.
Begay: Let's do a quick recap of the election. So far, nearly 3.2 million Michiganders have already voted before today via absentee or early in person. What do you make of that turnout? And does that tell us anything about how today might go?
Benson: Well, yeah, it's extraordinarily encouraging to see, particularly the first time we've ever done early in-person voting statewide in a presidential election to see 1.2 million Michiganders participate and it was really encouraging.
Of the 2 million Michiganders who voted from home and returned their ballot, the fact that over 80% have already got their ballots back, which is twice the number we usually see around this time is quite extraordinary.
So it shows voters are really enthusiastic, very energized, ready to vote. I think we know the eyes of the nation and the world are on Michigan today and in this election. And it's great to see folks, no matter who they're voting for or where they live, really responding and meeting the moment, stepping up and making sure their voice is heard.
Begay: Throughout the election season, election security has been a big point of emphasis for your office. How well prepared is your office for today? And are there any reminders voters should be aware of?
Benson: Well, there are no specific threats. We are working to ensure that the election goes smooth, and that even though so many folks are in this heightened state of anxiety, that we can respect the process and respect the poll workers as well to ensure that things go smoothly.
That said, in terms of the hardware of security, there are layers in place to make sure all valid votes count. And I'm grateful to the election workers who put those security measures in place.
We also have a very transparent process over hundreds of challengers and observers from both parties are in place in every place where a ballot is being cast or tabulated, and that helps ensure that people can have rightly placed faith in the process. And we hope those folks tell the truthful story of what they're seeing, so that it reports back the paper ballots that people are voting on are secure and that we can trust the results of the election to be an accurate reflection of the will of the people.
Begay: Now a lot of folks will be eager to hear election results. Can you walk us through what to expect after polls close?
Benson: Yes, we actually released a video yesterday that goes through exactly what happens after 8 p.m. when the polls close.
We prioritize security and accuracy over speed, but we do love efficiency. It does take time for counties to report unofficial results, because a lot of ballots that are voted from home are returned late in the day, and it takes time to validate them, ensure that that identifiable voters returned them, and then carry out various other security protocols before putting the ballot into the tabulator.
Now in 2020, we had those statewide election results within 24 hours after the polls closing. We expect to beat that record and have them sooner this time around, but we'll be providing an update at 9:00 p.m. tonight once all the polls close, because we have three counties in Central Time, to give people a sense of when to expect results and what we're doing to ensure the process is efficient, accurate and secure.
Begay: Well, thank you so much. I know you've got a busy day ahead of you, so thank you for joining me this morning, Jocelyn.
Benson: Thank you. Thank you for having me and happy Election Day.
Begay: Jocelyn Benson is the Michigan Secretary of State.
WKAR will bring you live special coverage of the election with NPR tonight, starting at 7 p.m.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
