The city of Detroit Elections Department is about half way through mailing out absentee ballots to eligible voters signed up for the state’s permanent mailing list.
About 45,000 ballots have been mailed out as of Wednesday, Daniel Baxter, chief operations officer of the elections department, told Michigan Chronicle. There around 97,000 voters who had previously requested to receive an absentee ballot for each election.
A constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2022 gave registered voters the ability to be included in a permanent absentee voter list. These voters automatically receive an absentee ballot for all future elections without needing to submit an application each time.
The city is mailing more absentee ballots than people who have voted in previous primary elections, but that doesn’t mean it will see a greater turnout.
Baxter said the department is predicting a 13-18% turnout for the Aug. 5 primary election, or about 65,000-90,000 voters. Detroit has around 500,000 registered voters.
“The election will be won by absentee,” Baxter told Michigan Chronicle on Wednesday.
This fall, Detroiters will elect its first new mayor since 2013, new City Council members occupying redistricted districts, the city clerk and new Board of Police Commissioners.
Decisions these officials make will have major impact on the day-to-day lives of Detroiters. These positions determine how elections are administered, the individuals who make up city government, its budget, and the legislation that is passed.
You can request an absentee ballot online, by mail, or via a dropbox by 5pm by Friday, Aug. 1. Requests can also be made in person at the Clerk’s Office by 4 p.m. on Monday, August 4, 2025.
Voters who are newly registering or updating their registration should request and complete their ballot in person at the clerk’s office until 8pm on Election Day, August 5. The general election is Nov. 4.
The deadline to register for the primary election online is July 21. The online registration deadline for the Nov. 4 general election is Oct. 21.
You can register on the state of Michigan’s website here.
The winners of Detroit’s upcoming elections will likely win or lose their races with more than 80% of voters sitting out, which elections officials say is abysmal.
A Detroit Free Press analysis of voter turnout over the decades revealed less than 30% voting age residents have participated in citywide elections since 2005, when 41% of voting age residents participated in the general election which saw former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. 235,558 Detroiters cast ballots to reelect Kilpatrick three years before he stepped down amid public corruption scandal.
The amount of residents who participate in elections since then has cut in half. About 50% of voting age residents participate in presidential elections, and about 37% vote in gubernatorial elections, the Freep analysis found.
There were about 70,000 voters who participated in the 2021 primary election, and more than 92,000 residents who cast votes during that year’s general election.
It’s not just Detroit.
Low voter turnout is the norm during mayoral elections in the nation’s largest cities. Among the nation’s 30 largest cities, only 20 percent of voting age citizens cast ballots. In many cities, fewer than 15 percent of eligible citizens vote in local elections, according to research by Oregon State professor emeritus Phil Keasling.
Keasling points to cities like Los Angeles or Baltimore, where residents and elected officials approved changes their city charters to move city elections to a presidential election year. Many local elections are held on dates other than national or statewide elections.
But don’t call it an “off-year” election, Detroit Clerk Janice Winfrey told Michigan Chronicle Wednesday during an event for candidates for those vying for city council, mayor and board of police commissioners.
Winfrey said she takes seriously the city’s effort to get voters to the polls, with mobile vans and billboard reminders.
A number of organizations are offering free rides to the polls for the general election.
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Detroit Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. – Rides are available to and from polling locations on Election Day (November 5). Request a ride by calling (888) 328-4283 or email contact@oakland-service.com. Rides are wheelchair accessible.
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Detroit Bus Company – Rides are available on Election Day (Nov. 5) after 9 a.m. Request a ride by calling (313) 444-2871 or filling out this form.
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Detroit Downriver APRI – Rides are available from Saturday, Oct. 26 through Election Day (Nov. 5). Request a ride by filling out this form.
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Hartford Memorial Baptist Church (Senior Citizens Only)– Call or text 313.258.2762 or 313.680.0827 to schedule a curb to curb ride.
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Voter Transportation Project – Rides are available now through Election Day (November 5). Call or text “Detroit” to (866) 759-8683 to book a free Lyft ride.
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Warriors on Wheels – Rides are available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Thursday, October 31 through Sunday, November 3 and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day (November 5). Request a ride by calling (313) 552-2916 or filling out this form. Rides are wheelchair accessible.
