Spartan Newsroom (https://news.jrn.msu.edu/category/elections-politics/president/page/2/)
After weeks of hearing that polling places would be crowded, dangerous and contentious, some voters in East Lansing, Detroit and Shiawassee County who decided to chancve it were pleasantly surprised. They said voting precincts were ready for them, lines were short or organized to move swiftly and they felt safe from COVID-19.
Michigan voters headed to the polls this morning amid a pandemic that’s helped push absentee voting to record levels. More than 3 million Michigan voters have cast absentee ballots, according to the Secretary of State’s office, and 2 million people are expected to vote in person at the polls today. That could beat a turnout record of just over 5 million ballots cast in 2008.
On this edition of Focal Point, President Donald Trump visits Lansing for the first time ever. Our team meets supporters and protestors at the rally. With admissions down at MSU, Jacob Lothamer investigates how the school is handling a $54 million loss in revenue. We preview MSU football’s massive matchup with Michigan and catch up with Jalen Watts-Jackson. Those stories and more on Focal Point.
More than 4,000 people attended President Donald J. Trump’s campaign event in Lansing on Tuesday, including students from nearby Michigan State University.
Supporters of President Donald Trump began to arrive at the Capital Region International Airport before the sun rose Tuesday, even though the president’s rally was not scheduled to start until 2 p.m.
CAMPAIGN COVERAGE COMMENTARY: How has campaign coverage in Michigan changed, and why? We talk to a Grand Valley State political scientist and the most senior member of the Capitol press corps, Tim Skubick. Commentary for news and opinion sections. By Eric Freedman. FOR LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS
City officials expects overall turnout fo about 55,000, 45,000 by absentee and 10,000 in-person Election Day.
Less than three weeks before Election Day, Vice President Mike Pence visited Grand Rapids to campaign for President Donald Trump’s reelection.
Libertarian Jo Jorgensen stopped in Detroit to meet with supporters and campaign.
As controversy continues to form around the 2020 Presidential Election, many local residents seem to have opted to vote absentee for the recent primary, and the numbers show similar trends for the general election in the fall. According to a July Detroit Free Press article by Paul Egan, over 22,000 voters have requested absentee ballots of which 60% have been returned. The total number of absentee ballots sent out for the 2016 Presidential election was 5,500. Michigan State student and Ingham County resident Cassy Landes said she knew “no matter what I wanted to vote in this election” so voting absentee was the only choice. “I thought about it (voting absentee), but I never seriously considered it until COVID reared its ugly head,” Landes said.