Even with no-reason absentee and early voting, an energetic contingent of Detroiters turned out at polling sites across the city on Election Day to ensure their voices were heard.

At Huntington Place where the votes were being tabulated, there were 99,000 in person votes. In addition, there have been 92,000 absentee ballots and around 43,000 early in-person votes. That would put Detroit around 234,000, said Daniel Baxter, chief operations officer of the Detroit elections department.

The Elections Department said Tuesday night it expects a 51% turnout, which is the same turnout as the 2020 election.

Detroit absentee ballots are delivered to Huntington Place to be counted on November 5, 2024.
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson updates members of the press on the status of the vote count in the 2024 election.
An election worker takes a break late on Election Day at Huntington Place in Detroit.
Detroit vote counters send absentee voter tabulations to the Elections Department.
Election workers count ballots from Detroit voters at Huntington Place.
Election workers count ballots from Detroit voters at Huntington Place.
Director of Elections for City of Detroit Daniel Baxter addresses members of the press with an update as Detroit voted are counted at Huntington Place on November 5, 2024.
Election workers count ballots from Detroit voters at Huntington Place.
Election workers count ballots from Detroit voters at Huntington Place.

Besides the presidential race, Congressional seats, and Michigan Supreme Court justices, Detroit voters decided on three seats on the Detroit Public Schools Community District board and two ballot proposals.

FIND RESULTS HERE:

Michigan Senate seat

The race between Democrat Elissa Slotkin and Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan’s high-stakes US Senate race remained too close to call as ballot counting continued into Wednesday morning. Stay with Bridge Michigan for more.

Detroit school board race

Incumbent Sherry Gay-Dagnogo appears to have won a second term on the Detroit school board with a decisive lead over the next two vote-getters in Tuesday’s election.

With 99% of the precincts reporting, Gay-Dagnogo led the race with 54,109 votes, or about 13% of the vote totals. Gay-Dagnogo, a former state lawmaker and district teacher, was first elected in 2020 and is running for reelection.

Gay-Dagnogo was followed by Monique Bryant, a parent and nonprofit director, who had 40,560 votes, or 9.4%. Ida Simmons Short, who previously served on the board for Detroit Public Schools, had 39,333 votes, or 9.1%. Short is a community college educator.

The election for the Detroit Public Schools Community District is for three seats in a race that could be pivotal for the district. The results are not certified yet.

It’s one of several crucial education-related elections Chalkbeat is covering in Michigan. The others are a citywide school millage, a countywide school millage, and the State Board of Education race. Check out their website for more.

Counting the votes

As of 10 p.m., 2,600 absentee ballots arrived at Huntington Place with another shipment expected later in the evening, Baxter said. He said all the absentee ballots should be tallied shortly after midnight.

The absentee ballots were being dropped off by Uhaul. Results should start to be reflected on the county’s website by 10:30 p.m., he said.

False claims of police presence and cheating

So far there have been no interruptions at Huntington Place, which saw large protests and people banging on the windows and doors in 2020.

Detroit police say it has prepared for the General Election and there is no evidence to support a false claim from former President Donald Trump about law enforcement in the majority Democratic city.

“A lot of talk about massive CHEATING in Philadelphia,” Trump posted on his social media company Truth Social around 6:30pm. “Philadelphia and Detroit! Heavy Law Enforcement is there,” he added.

In response, DPD put out the following statement on X:

“As we have done in prior elections, the DPD has assigned personnel to locations throughout the City to ensure public safety for all voters during this election cycle. The amount of staffing deployed is appropriate for the expected turnout and consistent with the department’s plan developed in advance to meet the needs of this event. There has been no recent increase in our staffing levels. We are in close communication with the City Clerk and will provide any needed assistance in ensuring election integrity.”

Election Day in Detroit

Earlier in the day at Edison Elementary in the Grandmont-Rosedale community, a steady stream of voters were coming and going Tuesday. By late afternoon, 166 voters had stopped in at the school, including Rosalind Pride.

The 71-year-old cast her ballot for Vice President Kamala Harris, noting one of the issues top of mind for her is reproductive rights. Having abortion is a personal choice and the government should not interfere, Pride said.

“I do not agree with everything she (Harris) stands for, but I do not believe anything (Donald) Trump stands for at all,” Pride told BridgeDetroit.

Rosalind Pride, 71, of Grandmont-Rosedale, voted Tuesday at Edison Elementary. Credit: Micah Walker, BridgeDetroit

The gym at Burns Elementary-Middle School was full of voters as people were ending their workday. Three precincts are located within the building and there were about 900 people who cast their ballots by 4:30 p.m., said Tandra Gilp, a troubleshooter for the Detroit Board of Elections. 

Jerilynne Jones, a 44-year-old who works at the General Motors Factory Zero plant, voted for Trump. Jones said she doesn’t really care for him or Harris, but the vice president has had four years to deliver her promises. 

“You want to lower taxes, you wanna do this, you wanna do that, but you’ve had your opportunity,” Jones said about Harris. “The only person I’ve seen results with is Trump. He may not be the popular vote, he may be controversial, but he delivers.” 

If Trump is president again, Jones wants to see him fulfill his promises, like bring down inflation. She hopes to see election results in the next two days and reiterated widely debunked claims that the 2020 election was “stolen.”  

Both Harris and Trump, their vice presidential picks and surrogates have focused a lot of attention on Michigan, with a flurry of visits leading up to Election Day.

After casting her ballot at Detroit’s Northwest Activities Center Tuesday morning, Lauryn Allen said it would be “monumental” if Harris becomes president.

Allen arrived at the polls shortly after they opened and waited in line for more than half an hour, but that didn’t really matter. It’s exciting because a line means people are voting, the 27-year-old said. 

“It’s humbling because I have that chance and opportunity to have a voice, and at one point, my ancestors didn’t,” Allen, who lives on the west side of Detroit, said. 

Lauryn Allen, 27, of Detroit voted Tuesday at the Northwest Activities Center. She cast her ballot for Kamala Harris. Credit: Nushrat Rahman, BridgeDetroit, Detroit Free Press

Watching Harris at rallies and on social media, Allen felt like the presidential candidate was the right choice. She was inspired by Harris’ passion. 

A Harris win would mark a shift in how Black and brown girls see themselves and how men communicate with women, she said. 

“A lot of people’s mindsets will change, pertaining to women and pertaining to the presidency,” Allen, who works as a researcher at Henry Ford Hospital, said. 

Allen expects to stay up all night for the results. In 2016 — the first presidential election she voted in — she recalls the quiet of her campus after Donald Trump won. 

“But now me, being back home and me just feeling so energized and happy and excited for the future, I believe that when it gets closer to midnight and through the night, I’ll be excited,” she said. 

At Mark Twain School for Scholars in Southwest Detroit about 180 people had voted by 11 a.m., according to an election worker.

Martel Peguese, 56, voted there for Harris, saying she is the right fit to lead due to her background in law.

“She’s the best person to lead at this point in time,” Peguese said. “She’s not holding grudges, she’s trying to bring people together, to work together. It doesn’t matter if you’re Republican or Democrat. People are people.” 

As a person who’s in between jobs, the economy is important to Peguese as well as women’s rights. He has a 24-year-old daughter and Peguese wants her to be part of a world worth living in. 

“We need somebody that can bring people together, try to be fair and improve things here in America,” he said.

Detroit polling location at Burns Seventh Day Adventist on Nov. 5, 2024. Credit: Malachi Barrett, BridgeDetroit

Michigan has more than 7.2 million active registered voters. Of those, about 3.3 million — or 45.7% — cast and early voting ballot or returned an absentee ballot, according to state election data.

As of Tuesday, 92,199 Detroit voters returned absentee ballots and 42,870 ballots were cast at early voting centers in the city.

The non-partisan Get Out the Vote program DJs at the Polls hosted live entertainment at polling sites nationwide, including over 700 sites in Michigan. In Detroit, the DJs were stationed at the Northwest Activities Center as well as Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ and Edison Elementary School.

Jacqueline Kapilango, who goes by DJ Asset, was working to energize voters outside the Northwest Activities Center on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Credit: Nushrat Rahaman, BridgeDetroit, Detroit Free Press

Jacqueline Kapilango, who goes by “DJ Asset,” said she was focused on energizing voters Tuesday as they headed into the activities center to cast ballots.

Among the tunes was “Happy” by Pharrell Williams to liven the crowd as volunteers pass out political flyers to people as they enter. 

“We’re trying to bring excitement to voters, to get them out vote. This is (an) important time in our history, and we just want to support that through music,” Kapilango said.

The momentum was also alive over at the Pasteur Elementary School, a polling location where people danced as another DJ performed.

Sinatra Thomas, 62, also voted for Harris, saying the vice president is experienced and level-headed.

The Southwest Detroit resident, who was decked out in a Honolulu blue Detroit Lions jersey and a large Lions necklace, said he wanted to vote for Harris in 2020 as well before she dropped out of the presidential race and became vice president under President Joe Biden.

Sinatra Thomas voted Tuesday in Southwest Detroit. The Detroiter said he’s backing Harris and supports many of the policies she’s promoting. Credit: Micah Walker, BridgeDetroit

Thomas said he agrees with many of the initiatives Harris has been pushing this election season, like the $6,000 child tax credit, providing first-time homeowners $25,000 on their down payment and business loans for Black male entrepreneurs. Harris has also been advocating for women’s rights, which is another thing Thomas is for. 

Thomas, who works as a car transporter, said all of the campaign events in Detroit and across the state this season didn’t have an influence on who he was going to vote for, saying he couldn’t vote a convicted felon, referring to Trump.

“Harris has put in the work and she has proved herself time and again serving as attorney general in California,” Thomas said. 

Grand River-Greenfield resident Antonio Leonard declined to say which presidential candidate he voted for, but he stressed that inflation is something he’s concerned about this election cycle. 

“It used to be where you’d get an apartment because you couldn’t afford to rent a house. Now, an apartment is just as much as renting a house,” said Leonard, 52. “You can’t even afford to buy a car no more.”

Angela Benander, spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s office, said during a morning media briefing that no problems had been reported from any Michigan precinct.

In addition, Benander added, over 100 department employees are working across the state, “monitoring what’s on the ground.”

At the First Congregational Church in Midtown, Andrew Burks-Wright said a Harris win would restore his faith in the country. The PhD candidate at Wayne State University said he is feeling cautiously optimistic, but still worries about the prospect of a Trump presidency.

“I know that, for that whatever reason, millions of American voters are not holding the same values that I do. I’ll carry on. Life will go on. I will start thinking more seriously about getting out of the country. I have some options in mind,” Burks-Wright, 50, said.

It’s time for change, said 77-year-old Linda Morrow. As she cast her ballot, she found herself sweating because it felt like history in the making, as she voted for someone who could be the first woman elected president.

“If we can raise presidents,” said Morrow, “…we can be president.”

Weighing in on Detroit’s public school board

Anika Guider (right) and her daughter London Teasley at the Northwestern High School polling location on Nov. 5, 2024. Credit: Jena Brooker, BridgeDetroit

Detroiter Anika Guider, 30, voted Tuesday at Northwestern High School. Issues motivating Guider to vote are women’s rights as well as efforts to combat inflation.

Guider, a community healthcare worker, also wanted to make a difference by electing DPSCD school board officials, doing some research on the candidates the night before. Guider said she also used materials being handed out outside of the polling location to inform her vote.

“The fliers they gave us walking actually helped me to be able to select better,” she said.

Ashley Mitchell, the 45th voter at Northwestern Tuesday, said she also selected school board candidates using materials she was given as she walked into the polls.

Materials were being distributed by the Fannie Lou Hamer Political Action Committee, the Michigan Democratic Party Black Caucus, DPSCD school board candidate Sherisse M. Butler, and State Board of Education candidates Theodore Jones and Adam Zemke. 

“They helped me pick who I chose and they showed me why,” said Mitchell, 33.

Bruce Henderson, 36, who owns a tuxedo shop and works for Delta, said choosing school board candidates was difficult. His children attend Royal Oak schools, he said.

“That was a tough one. I was doing some research and just picked who I thought was best. (I) didn’t feel like he had enough information about school board candidates going into it.

“Half the time people are looking at the ballot they don’t even know who these people are, what they’re about,” he said.

The overall voting experience on Election Day though was smooth.

“Today was super easy, this was the easiest experience I’ve had, quick five-minute, in-and-out,” Henderson said.

Martin Coleman, 44, owner of Coleman Construction, said he came to the polls already knowing which DPSCD candidates he’d be voting for.

Martin Coleman, 44, of Detroit voted Tuesday at Northwestern High School. He said he arrived at the polls ready to cast school board votes. Credit: Jena Brooker, BridgeDetroit

Coleman has two kids in the school system and two others who are DPSCD graduates.

His biggest concerns about Detroit public schools is “the lack of” he said.

“I own property in almost every neighborhood and there’s schools in every neighborhood abandoned – good buildings too,” he said. “I’m looking at some of the buildings like ‘I’d love to turn it into a hotel or something because they’re not going to fix it and turn it back into a school’ but it’s not like the building is gone to the point where it can’t be rehabbed, so just funding to get the schools back open, they’re just sitting empty and rotting.”

Peguese, the Harris supporter from Southwest Detroit, found it hard to choose DPSCD candidates due to broad field.

He said some of the topics the school board should focus on when the new candidates are in office are school safety, funding and having new school facilities.

“Kids shouldn’t be afraid to go to school or go to school hungry,” Peguese said. “They (the board) gotta paint kids a brighter future.”

Thomas, who also cast a ballot at Mark Twain in Southwest Detroit, said when it came to the school board candidates, he left the ballot blank. He said he didn’t see or hear anything about the candidates.

However, Thomas did vote in favor of the DPSCD millage Proposal S. 

“I’m for supporting our school system even if I don’t support the board,” he said.

The importance of getting out the vote

Reginald Gaddis cast his ballot at Palmer Park Academy. The 45-year-old said it’s critical for residents go get out and vote, “whether your candidate wins or loses.”

“You can have a voice and say you tried. Just getting the knowledge. If we don’t have the knowledge, then we’re not going to be locked in on what’s going on. If you’re not locked in, you’re gonna get left behind,” Gaddis said.

Gaddis said he studied up on the candidates mainly from campaign literature.

“I have to read. I don’t watch TV. You know, I’m a 70s baby. I come up with books and walking to the library, getting a library card, actually doing research, sitting down and studying,” Gaddis said. “And, a lot of these people, we don’t know them, let’s be honest. So you go with your heart. You go, ‘what feels right?’”

At Denby High School, Jennifer Travis came out to do what she’s done since turning 18.

Travis, now 52, said she never takes a chance to vote for granted and feels like it’s vital for her family’s future.

“…so many people died, fought, fled and did not have the opportunity to vote,” she said. “So for me and my children and grandchildren, I’m trying to teach them that voting is important, and to exercise that right at every election, primary, presidential, whatever election it is, to go out and vote.”

She said she teaches her kids and grandkids to sort through misinformation by keeping them engaged in the process and by bringing them along to the polls.

“My children are now 28 and 26. I don’t tell them that they have to vote for this person or that person, but you have to vote,” she said.

Another Detroit voter, Ashley Layton, said it was most important for her to weigh in in this election to ensure “we have the right people, or who you think the right person would be to hold these spaces.”

To learn about the candidates, Layton, 34, said she relied on her community and the big issues those around here were talking about. She encouraged others not to sit the election out.

“If you choose not to vote and you’re not aware, I think that’s the scariest thing,” she said. “You should be aware of what’s going on and who’s going on. We get so caught up in ‘Oh, I don’t want to vote,’ or ‘my voice doesn’t matter’ when you’re not realizing that it actually (does).”

Cameron Collins, who at 19 years old, voted for the first time Tuesday. After casting his ballot at the Northwest Activities Center, he said his vote as a privilege. Although voting at the booth felt like the mock elections he would do in school, the moment still felt surreal.

“Our votes do matter,” he said.

The issues

Our partners for the election include: Bridge Michigan | Chalkbeat Detroit | Detroit Free Press | Outlier | Detroit PBS 

BridgeDetroit reporters Nushrat Rahman, Bryce Huffman, Malachi Barrett, Jena Brooker, Micah Walker and Bridge Michigan’s Paula Gardner are contributing to this report.