Michigan could play a decisive role in the presidential elections for the third time in a row, as voters decide close races that could tip the balance of power in both houses of Congress and the state House of Representatives.
Michigan is one of three battleground states, along with Pennsylvania and Wisconsinwho in 2016 had swung towards Republican Donald Trump by a slim margin, after almost 30 years of supporting the Democrats. Four years later, the Democrat Joe Biden he got all three, in Michigan, with just 154,000 votes out of more than 5.5 million cast.
trump and the vice president Kamala Harris They campaigned heavily in Michigan, seeking the state’s 15 Electoral College votes, focusing particularly on Detroit and its suburbs and Kent County, home to Grand Rapids and a major swing area of the state.
In the federal Senate the Democratic representative Elissa Slotkin faces the Republican Mike Rogers to replace Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow, whose decision to retire after five terms put a seat that until now was firmly in the Democratic camp back in play. Rogers, former head of the House Intelligence Committee, was recruited out of retirement, giving the Michigan Republicans a chance to end 24 years without winning elections to the Upper House.
slotkin She has kept her Lansing district in Democratic hands since her first election in 2018. Replacing her in the 7th Congressional District are Democrat Curtis Hertel and Republican Tom Barrett, both former state senators.
Voters in the 7th District went for Trump in 2016 and for Biden in 2020. In the 8th District, which includes Flint and Saginaw, Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet and Republican Paul Junge are competing to replace Democratic Rep. Dan Kildee , who did not run. for a seventh term. McDonald Rivet is a state senator while Junge is a former prosecutor and former television host who was defeated by Kildee in 2022.
In the state Legislature, Democrats are defending the narrow majority they won in the House in 2022 and maintained in April after a special election to fill a pair of vacancies. This year, all 110 seats in the state House are up for grabs.
Legislative campaigns in both parties have declared control of the Michigan House as one of their top priorities this November. Democrats also hold a narrow majority in the state Senate, but those seats won’t be up for grabs until 2026.
What to expect from the November 5 Michigan elections. Photo: ReutersWhat to expect from the November 5 Michigan elections
When will the US elections be?
November 5th.
How far can you vote in Florida?
The closing time of the polls is 8pm and 9pm. ET. Michigan spans two time zones, so most of the state will begin reporting results while others in the Upper Peninsula They will vote until 9pm ET.
How many electoral votes does Michigan have in the presidential election?
Michigan has 15 Electoral College votes in the presidential race.
The main competitions
Harris (D) vs. Trump (right) vs. Chase Oliver (Libertarian) vs. Jill Stein (Green) vs. Randall Terry (US Taxpayers’ Party) vs. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Natural Law Party) v. Joseph Kishore vs. Cornel West.
8th Congressional District
Kristen McDonald Rivet (D) vs. Paul Junge (R) and four others.
A new law gives local election officials more time to process and tabulate absentee ballots, which should ease the logjam that delayed vote counting in the 2020 presidential election.
Cities and towns with at least 5,000 residents can begin processing and tabulation voting up to eight days before Election Daywhile smaller jurisdictions may begin the morning before Election Day.
What Michigan’s last election was like in 2020. Photo: ReutersHow did Michigan’s last election go in 2020?
In 2020, more than 3.1 million voters cast ballots by mail, approximately 56% of all votes cast. State law at the time prevented election workers from opening envelopes and preparing ballots for counting until the night before the election. Trump initially led on Election Day, but the gap narrowed overnight and into the next morning, with Biden leading by the afternoon.
Changing the law could lead to faster release of mail-in ballot results and mitigate the so-called “Republican mirage” that Trump has falsely accused as evidence of voter fraud in Michigan and other key states.
Some key counties in Michigan elections are Wayne (where Detroit is located), Oakland, Macomb, Kent (where Grand Rapids is located), Genesee (where Flint is located), and Washtenaw (where Ann Arbor is located).
Results of past 2020 presidential races
Biden (D) 51%, Trump (R) 48%, AP declared the winner on Wednesday, November 4, 2020, at 5:58 pm ET.
Registered voters
8,437,177 (until October 17, 2024).
Electoral participation
That was 68% of registered voters in 2020.
Votes cast before Election Day in 2020 in Michigan
About 59% of all votes.
Votes cast before Election Day in 2022
About 42% of all votes.
How long did the vote counting take?
First votes reported in November 2020: 8:08 pm ET.
By midnight ET: 45% of all votes cast had been reported.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.