HIGHLAND TOWNSHIP, Minn. — Early in-person voting opened Saturday morning across the state amid intense campaigning for Michigan’s Nov. 3 midterm elections.

Michigan law requires municipalities to begin offering early, in-person voting to registered voters on Oct. 24 and continue for nine days through Sunday, Nov. 1.

The first day coincided with a campaign rally Democrats were having in Detroit with former President Barack Obama and their candidates for governor, Jocelyn Benson, and U.S. Senate, Abdul El-Sayed. On Sunday, Republican President Donald Trump planned to rally supporters for the GOP ticket — featuring governor hopeful John James and Senate nominee Mike Rogers — at a rally in Port Huron.

Fred Yacobelli, of Highland Township, usually votes Republican, and Saturday was no different when he cast his early ballot at the Highland Township Hall. He said he wanted to elect individuals who would ensure immigration laws are enforced at the border, and he expressed concerns about what he saw as a “180-degree” turn in El-Sayed’s messaging before he began running for the U.S. Senate.

Yacobelli believes the tariffs are necessary to bring jobs back to Michigan, and he understands the need to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. But he said he wished Trump got out of the war with Iran more quickly, and he recognizes the difficult political environment the war and tariffs have created for Republicans.

“This is a major thing that the Republicans are going to have to try to get through because it’s raised the cost of living,” Yacobelli said.

—What Michigan voters were saying at the polls

In Trenton, several early voters cited the economy as the main issue driving their vote. But they didn’t know how that would translate into who would win the election, particularly the Senate race.

“The economy is plain scary,” said Lynette Pifer, 56, after voting Oct. 24 at Trenton City Hall.

But like eight other early voters in Trenton and Dearborn Heights, Pifer didn’t want to say which Senate candidate she was voting for, citing a polarizing political climate.

“A lot of people have strong opinions and you know, depending on the person, it’s not the same as mine,” Pifer said.

That includes her five children, all of voting age, who “will probably be different from me," she added.

Janice and Frank Putnam described their Downriver community of Trenton as a “small town,” and the couple has friends in both political camps.

“Everyone feels the economy is going in the wrong direction," said Janice Putnam, 48. "But I’m not sure if that means a lot of people who voted one way a few years ago will go in a different direction."

Frank Putnam said he’s gotten jaded over the “constant personal attacks” on candidates.

“The choice was clear for me on a lot of issues,” Frank Putnam said, declining to say what those personal choices were.

“You never know, though, what people with different views are hearing and motivating them," he added.

Robert Bair of Howell said he cast an early ballot Saturday to ensure that Republicans stay in office and, he said, out of concern that candidates like El-Sayed and 7th Congressional District Democratic candidate Will Lawrence would bring socialism with them.

El-Sayed has been endorsed by prominent members of Democratic Socialists of America but says he is not one himself. Lawrence let his Democratic Socialists of America credentials lapse in July.

Bair said he doesn’t believe those disavowals.

“I grew up being more of a moderate, in between, but the socialists stuff scares me most,” Bair said.

“Unfortunately, everything went to polar opposites,” he added. “Where it seemed like when I was younger, you could vote both ways and be more of a moderate, which I think most Americans are.”

In West Bloomfield, there was a steady stream of voters showing up Saturday to cast their ballots early.

For Shelby and Matthew Elias, of West Bloomfield, their biggest motivation to vote Saturday was to ensure individuals who support Israel win office. The couple, who are Jewish, said they want someone in office who will protect the community.

“It hasn’t changed our vote,” said Matthew Elias, noting he usually votes Republican. “But a lot of people that we know that are Democrat have been voting Republican in this election because that’s such an important thing to us.”

Shelby Elias said she is concerned by El-Sayed’s messaging on the campaign trail regarding Israel.

“Abdul El-Sayed’s message, while a lot of people may think it’s harmless, it really isn’t,” Shelby Elias said.

Joel Haas, of West Bloomfield, said he usually votes Democrat and Saturday was no different as he cast an early ballot at the public library.

“I think that checks and balances need to actually work,” said Haas, 46, “and for that, we need more Democrats in charge of the legislative branch.”

Haas said his acquaintances are optimistic about Democrats’ chances this year. But he remains cautious about the results and, ultimately, “how the results will be handled, one way or the other.”

In Dearborn Heights, the early voting center saw a steady trickle of voters Saturday morning at the Canfield Community Center. Longtime resident Al Hojeij, 60, believes there could be another “big swing” in the way his community voted in 2024, when Donald Trump’s presidential bid garnered 44% of the vote in Dearborn Heights, compared to Kamala Harris’ 38%.

“Just talking to family and friends, I do think many people are having second thoughts about their votes,” in the 2024 presidential election, Hojeij said. He declined to say how he was going to vote but said “because of this bad economy, people want to see something done.”

The Middle Eastern population in this city is around 39%. In 2024, anger over the Gaza War translated into many in the community voting for Republican Trump.

Another longtime resident, Nasser Mouslmani, 75, said he wasn’t sure how his city would vote this time, particularly regarding Abdul El-Sayed, who would become the first Muslim in the U.S. Senate if Michigan voters elect him.

“I know that many people think this is a very, very important election but I don’t know; I don’t want to predict,” Mouslmani said, who is Muslim.

—How early voting works

The early, in-person voting process is almost identical to voting on Election Day, with voters marking their ballot and then inserting it into a tabulator. However, the ballots cast during early, in-person voting are not totaled until after polls close at 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.

Early voting lets voters choose a time to vote that fits their schedules, Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie said.

“If you’re busy on Election Day, you can still exercise your right to have your say in the future of your community, our state, and the nation,” Edevbie said.

Most early voting sites are open during regular business hours, but times can vary by municipality. Voters can find their early voting site at Michigan.gov/vote.

At least three communities opened their doors earlier than Oct. 24 for early, in-person voting. East Lansing began its early voting operation on Monday, Oct. 19; Grand Rapids opened on Tuesday, Oct. 20; and Ann Arbor began offering the option on Wednesday, Oct. 21.

In Michigan, voters are required to show ID to vote, but can sign an affidavit attesting to their identity if they don't have a photo ID on them at the polls.

The early, in-person voting option was made available to Michigan voters as part of a constitutional amendment adopted during the November 2022 election. Election officials implemented the option statewide in the 2024 presidential primary.

Voters have also had the option to vote by absentee ballot for several weeks now.

As of Saturday morning, Oct. 24, more than 1 million of the 2.1 million requested absentee ballots had been returned to municipal clerks, according to a state voting dashboard.

Michigan has 7.4 million active registered voters.

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