MARQUETTE, MI— Early voting before the November 5th election was a popular option in Marquette.
City Clerk Kyle Whitney says about 2,300 people voted in the nine days leading up the election. That represents about 14 percent of Marquette’s 70-percent voter turnout in total. Whitney says in the three elections leading up to November, the city did 22 days of early voting. Only about 348 people voted early during that time.
Whitney says he was surprised and pleased at how many residents took advantage of early voting. He notes it helps the Clerk’s Office, especially in large elections.
“We were very busy in the precinct on Election Day, and that was after 2,300 people voted early. So, I think if it weren’t for the ability of people to go vote early, I think it just would have made everybody’s life a little more hectic and created longer lines on Election Day.”
Early voting has been enshrined in the Michigan Constitution. Whitney says people had a much greater awareness of its availability leading up to the November election, and he hopes more people pick it up and stick with it.
