Detroit’s voters are showing up, stepping forward, and ready to make history. City Clerk Janice Winfrey expects a record turnout in the 2024 presidential election, predicting up to 290,000 votes—more than any election in Detroit since 2012. With early voting sites and absentee ballots coming in strong, Detroit is projected to see a turnout rate between 51% and 55%.
At Huntington Place, where absentee ballots are being processed, Winfrey shared the numbers that brought her optimism. Roughly 22,000 Detroiters have already voted at early voting sites since they opened on October 19, and 81,000 have returned absentee ballots. Winfrey’s forecast suggests 35,000 people will take advantage of early voting, 100,000 will send in absentee ballots, and around 150,000 will show up at the polls on November 5. “I’m proud of that number,” Winfrey said, a reflection of her pride in Detroit’s commitment to this election.
This election’s framework differs from years past, with structural and procedural changes designed to meet the demands of a modern election. Lawmakers in Michigan, understanding the importance of efficiency, authorized early processing of absentee ballots—a decision that allows election officials to work in a more controlled environment and streamline results on Election Day. Chris Thomas, former state elections director and now a city advisor, estimates that results could be released as early as midnight on November 5.
Detroit’s 750 poll workers, integral to the early voting process, work three-day shifts to process absentee ballots. Every day, absentee ballots are brought to Huntington Place by the Department of Elections, which collects them from drop boxes and early voting locations across the city. Poll workers then confirm each voter’s identity, inspect each ballot, and prepare it for the crucial Election Day count. Election Day results will be posted on Detroit’s Department of Elections website and submitted to the Wayne County Clerk.
Detroit’s absentee processing center has been in the public eye since 2020, when the city faced allegations of election tampering, which led to a surge of protesters demanding to “stop the count.” Reflecting on that experience, Winfrey and her team knew that security and transparency were paramount in preparing for 2024. The city has implemented a comprehensive security plan to ensure poll workers can operate without obstruction. Detroit Elections Administrator Daniel Baxter describes the need for these security measures as “essential,” adding that Detroit’s preparedness is rooted in the experience of November 2020.
The security plan is a coordinated effort involving state, county, and local police, the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, the U.S. Department of Justice, and private security from Huntington Place. Access to the processing center is limited to poll workers, credentialed media, and partisan poll challengers with proper identification. Detroit Police officers are stationed throughout the area, and aerial monitoring adds another layer of security.
The weight of these protective measures extends to Winfrey herself. Following an incident in 2020 where a man appeared outside her home, Winfrey made the difficult decision to carry a firearm and hired a Detroit police officer for personal protection. The security plan also includes escorting poll workers to and from their vehicles to shield them from potential intimidation. Winfrey expressed her gratitude for recent legislation passed by Michigan’s Legislature, which now classifies threats against election workers as felony offenses.
The impact of 2020 has prompted additional security features at Detroit’s Elections Department in New Center, including bulletproof glass, surveillance cameras, and a panic button, emphasizing the city’s commitment to safeguarding both its election workers and the integrity of the process. Since 2020, Detroit has restructured its election protocols, and Baxter attributes recent scrutiny to the city’s demographic makeup. “It’s because we’re a Black city,” Baxter stated plainly. “When you look at some of the attacks that have been made on communities like Philadelphia, Detroit, Atlanta—that’s where Black people live.”
Detroit has also entered into a notable agreement with the Republican National Committee to ensure a fair balance of poll workers from both major parties. This agreement arose after the RNC filed a lawsuit arguing that Detroit hired disproportionately more Democratic poll workers than Republicans in an August election. In response, Baxter confirmed that every one of Detroit’s 50 counting boards has at least one Republican representative, as do each of Detroit’s 14 early vote centers. Detroit is still working to achieve parity across all precincts but is committed to building bipartisan trust through fair representation.
While accusations about election integrity have persisted in Detroit, lawsuits filed to prove these claims have not produced evidence of fraud. Detroit has maintained balanced precincts in elections since 2021, an accomplishment that represents the city’s dedication to accuracy and transparency. Detroit has become, as Baxter puts it, a “shining star of election administration.”
As Election Day draws closer, Detroit’s voters must remain vigilant. Those who have yet to send their absentee ballots should note that postal service delivery is no longer an option for timely return. Instead, Winfrey urges voters to use secure drop boxes or deliver ballots directly to polling locations on November 5. These drop boxes are monitored by law enforcement and equipped with anti-tampering technology to prevent incidents like those reported in Oregon, where drop boxes were targeted by arson. “We are definitely prepared in the event that someone wants to do something like that,” Winfrey assured.
Early voting has allowed Detroit to operate more openly, creating an environment where challengers from different parties can observe the process firsthand. Chris Thomas notes that many poll challengers, after observing early voting procedures, have grown more confident in Detroit’s election integrity. “Their people have been here for days,” Thomas shared. “They’ve seen this is a big nothing. With the challengers who are here, they know nothing’s going on.”
Janice Winfrey and her team represent a vision for a fair and safe election process, one built on transparency and the protection of voter rights. Detroit’s preparation highlights its commitment to both accessibility and accountability. This year’s election is expected to not only surpass previous voter turnouts but to also demonstrate the power of Detroit’s democratic spirit.
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