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Michigan secretary of state says midterm voter turnout poised to break record

Jocelyn Benson
Posted at 1:45 PM, Nov 09, 2022
and last updated 2022-11-09 15:22:47-05

(WXYZ) — Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson held a post-election press conference Wednesday morning, saying she believes the midterm voter turnout will break the state record from 2018.

According to the state, the turnout in 2018 was at 28.2%.

“I’m confident that as we go through the process when the unofficial results are finalized, they will reflect that this election was the highest turnout midterm election in Michigan’s history," said Benson.

More than 4.3 million Michiganders cast ballots in the election with 1.8 million doing so by voting absentee.

Benson said the process was "smooth, transparent and absent of any significant disruptions."

She also applauded candidates for accepting the outcome.

"The fact that we’re seeing candidates who previously denied the accurate results of the 2020 election now graciously conceding defeat in their own high profile races underscores that we’ve truly succeeded in running a smooth and successful election," she said.

In the days ahead, Benson said the clerks will now dedicate themselves to canvassing their elections to confirm the accuracy of the results.