Michigan secretary of state reports strong early voting numbers, says state is prepared in the event of unrest
(CBS DETROIT) - Michigan is on track for a high voter turnout this election cycle, according to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
Benson said during a press conference Monday that her election officials are also prepared for any unrest on Election Day.
In total, more than three million voters have already participated in this election. According to Benson's office, more than 1.2 million voters cast their ballots in person at an early voting site.
"Voters' enthusiasm for early voting was really above and beyond anything we expected throughout the week, and we consistently saw each day over 100,000 people or more show up to vote," said Benson.
She said that now she is focused on making sure Election Day runs smoothly and results are accurately counted and reported.
"We can expect the first wave of unofficial results to begin being posted after 9 p.m. Eastern tomorrow," Benson said. "That's because we have three counties that are in Central Time, and we wait until all of the polls are closed across the state before releasing any numbers."
Much like other states across the country, Benson said, Michigan is prepared for any civil unrest or disturbance on Election Day.
"It is now a crime in Michigan to threaten an election official in their line of work," she said.
So far, early voting and pre-processing ballots have gone smoothly, Benson said.
"I see no reason why we should depart from that at all tomorrow or in the days ahead. I certainly expect and hope that no one will try to disrupt the process," she said. "It won't be successful; it would break the law, and we will be there with state, local and, in some cases, federal law enforcement to protect the process and protect the people in the process."