When voters approved no-reason absentee voting statewide in 2018, a reasonable person could foresee that the option might become more popular.
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In Detroit, it's looking to be really popular.
The Detroit News reports on how absentee voting is expected to change voting statewide, and in its largest city:
Thirty-six days before Michigan's primary election on March 10, local clerks across the state are reporting increased requests for absentee ballots. It's partly because of a voter-approved 2018 constitutional amendment that allowed for no-reason absentee voting, and it's partly because of high interest in the 2020 election, clerks said.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson told Detroit City Council Tuesday her office expected the number of absentee ballots cast to increase. Absentee votes in Detroit alone could double, Benson said.
March weather is often uncooperative, and Detroit polling places frequently feature long lines to vote, as well. But demand for the absentee option is up across the state, from Pontiac to Grand Rapids and points in between.
