Record 5.5M voted in Michigan; highest percentage in decades

LANSING » More than 5.5 million people voted in Michigan’s presidential election — the most ever and the highest percentage of voting-age residents to cast a ballot in 60 years. The number of voters — in a pandemic — smashed the previous record of 5 million in 2008. About 71% of those age 18 and older voted. The only general election in the past 72 years with a larger portion was 1960. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said it was “particularly inspiring and encouraging” that more than 28,000 people took advantage of a new option and registered and voted on Election Day. Absentee voting — now available to all voters under a 2018 constitutional amendment — surged, to nearly 3.5 million ballots during the virus outbreak.