Last updated: Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 10:50 a.m. This post will be continuously updated with political and campaign news through the Nov. 5 general election.

If voting seems a little more fun than usual today, that could be due to a national nonpartisan effort to fill polling places with music.

“Local DJs are spinning the sound of democracy to turn Election Day into a party,” according to the national group DJs at the Polls.

The group is urging voter turnout, and recruited volunteer DJs to play upbeat and family oriented tunes. The group “expanded on evidence that having DJs play polling places measurably increases voter turnout,” it says on its website.

Get your vibe and #vote on 🗳️

Are you ready for Election Day on November 5th? Check your polling place at the link in bio 🙌🏾 pic.twitter.com/ylXPodQXBA

— DJs at the Polls (@djthepolls) October 31, 2024

Out here DJing at the polls in #Detroit to bring some joy and more people out to their polling locations for @djsatthepolls #djsatthepolls #djsathepollsmi

Will update throughout the day as I am rocking from 7am - 8pm #Vote2024 #ElectionDay #vote pic.twitter.com/OuenYxsdNn

— 🇵🇸 Skeez 🇵🇸 (@djskeez313) November 5, 2024

Among the Michigan locations, DJ IBCool and DJ Veno were stationed Tuesday morning at Burns Seventh Day Adventist Church on Detroit’s east side. 

Jacqueline Kapilango, who goes by “DJ Asset,” set up outside the Northwest Activities Center in Detroit.

“We're trying to bring excitement to voters,” Kapilango said.

Across the United States, DJs at the Polls will set up music at 7,000 polls, The ‘Gander reported.

— Paula Gardner

Tuesday, Nov. 5 10 a.m.

Smooth first hour of voting in Michigan, official reports

Voter turnout in Michigan was at 45.8% as of 9 a.m., said Angela Benander, spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s office, during a media briefing.

That total indicated more than 3.3 million voters have already cast their ballots in the state.

As of Tuesday, 8,000 absentee ballots have been returned, and 829 people registered to vote under Michigan’s same-day registration regulations.

No problems have been reported from any Michigan precinct, Benander said.

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

The longest lines to vote so far were at Grace Emmanuel Baptist Church in Flint, Benander said, though it’s “moving quickly.”

Several reports from the first hour of voting had from 60 to 100 voters casting ballots at a given location, she added.

Reports of a threat at a polling location in Detroit resulted in a determination from Michigan State Police that the thread was “not credible,” Benander said, referring reporters to police for details. 

“We are looking forward to a smooth, safe, and secure Election Day,” Benander said. 

She added: “We are prepared for any potential disruptions.”

 — Paula Gardner

Tuesday, Nov. 5 9:17 a.m.

Weather forecast: Rain likely 

Much of Michigan is starting out with moderate and partly sunny skies today, though forecasts around the state call for eventual rain and possibly windy conditions.

A look around the National Weather Service outlook for Michigan shows:

Detroit/Pontiac region: A slight chance of showers before 1 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 76. South-southwest wind 15 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Gaylord region: Showers likely between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., then rain likely will continue. Otherwise cloudy, with a high near 65. Wind gusts as high as 30 mph. A few thunderstorms are possible this evening.

Grand Rapids region: Temperatures could reach 71 F by 4 p.m., when the chance of rain ticks up from 30% to 50%, climbing further to 79% around 7 p.m., just before polls close. Wind gusts will be between 30 and 37 mph. 

Marquette region: Showers, mainly after 10 a.m. Patchy fog after 4 p.m. High near 46. Wind gusts as high as 20 mph, and a 90% chance of precipitation.

Northern Indiana: Southwest Michigan will see showers after 4 p.m. The rest of the day will be cloudy, with a high around 70. Wind gusts could reach 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

In addition, there are no current watches for severe weather, either in Michigan or across the country. However, a few Michigan areas are on alert for thunderstorms and high wind. Those situations could turn into watches or warnings.

 — Paula Gardner

Tuesday, Nov. 5 8:28 a.m.

Welcome to Election Day 2024

Polls will be open until 8 p.m. (including in the corner of the Upper Peninsula that is on Central Standard Time). Results will be posted after that, as they come in. 

Bridge reporters will be in the field today, talking to voters and watching for news. 

If you haven’t voted, we have answers to your questions about polling locations and more. 

A couple of items to note: If you haven’t turned in your absentee ballot, you can do that until 8 p.m. today at your clerk’s office. The Secretary of State reports there are 244,280 absentee ballots still outstanding.

And you can still register to vote. Michigan now allows same-day voter registration at your local township or city clerk’s office, also until 8 p.m. today. 

Bridge also grouped its extensive election coverage so that readers can find it all in one place. If you still have questions about candidates, campaigns, spending and other issues, you are likely to find answers at the link above.

— Paula Gardner

Monday, Nov 4

3.2M already voted, including 1.2M early in-person

More than 3.2 million people have already voted in Michigan’s 2024 presidential election, including 1.2 million residents who cast ballots in the state’s new early in-person voting period, which ended Sunday. 

That 3.2 million figure reported by the state is already more than half the number of ballots cast in Michigan’s 2020 presidential election, where a record-setting 5.6 million residents voted, resulting in a 70% turnout. 

Of the more than 7.2 million registered voters the state currently considers “active,” nearly 44% had already voted through Sunday. 

While early in-person voting is over, voters can still return absentee ballots until 8 p.m. on Election Day. At this point, however, officials with the Secretary of State have urged voters to return absentee ballots to a drop box or their local clerk’s office directly — rather than the mail — to ensure they are received and counted on time.

To find where your local clerk’s office is, see if you’re registered to vote or to check the status of your absentee ballot, click here. 

— Jordyn Hermani

Sunday, Nov. 3

Trump, Vance, Walz, Bon Jovi coming Monday

JD Vance and Tim Walz will each rally in Michigan on Monday, adding to a packed schedule for the final day of the presidential campaign that already includes a planned visit by Donald Trump. 

Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, is expected to speak in Flint at the FIM Capitol Theatre around 1:15 p.m.

Walz, the Democratic vice presidential candidate, will hold an election eve rally in Detroit with musical guests the Detroit Youth Choir, Bon Jovi and The War and Treaty. He’s expected to speak around 10:30 p.m.

The Walz event is part of what Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris' campaign is calling a "national livestream show" that will include footage from rallies in multiple battleground states. 

Harris is expected in Pennsylvania on Monday night for a Philadelphia rally with Lady Gaga, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Fat Joe ,Oprah Winfrey and more. 

Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, is expected to close out his campaign with a late-night rally in Grand Rapids. 

— Jonathan Oosting

Friday, Nov. 1

Trump to cap campaign in Grand Rapids

As he did in 2016 and 2020, Donald Trump is expected to close out his presidential campaign with an election-eve rally in Grand Rapids.

The event is set for Monday night at the Van Andel Arena, according to his campaign. Trump is expected to speak around 10:30 p.m.

It's become something of a ritual for Trump, who has credited his late-night, election-eve 2016 rally in Grand Rapids with helping him squeak out a narrow Michigan victory that propelled him to the White House.

Related: In razor-thin race, watch these Michigan regions in Harris, Trump race

He won the state by fewer than 11,000 votes that year. 

Trump also capped his 2020 campaign with a large rally in Grand Rapids, acknowledging a "superstitious" motivation to return to the city.

He was unable to replicate his win from four years prior, however, falling to Democrat Joe Biden in Michigan by about 154,000 votes. 

As he seeks a return to the White House, the Republican presidential nominee has once again focused heavily on Michigan. The election-eve rally will be at least Trump’s 19th campaign event in the state this year, according to an unofficial Bridge Michigan tally.

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is expected to make multiple stops in Michigan on Sunday, including an evening rally at Michigan State University in East Lansing. 

— Jonathan Oosting and Simon Schuster

Friday, Nov. 1

Kamala Harris to rally at MSU in final push

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris will cap a Sunday swing through Michigan with a rally in East Lansing, her campaign announced. 

The event, set for just two days before the election, is scheduled for roughly 6:30 p.m.

While the campaign hasn't announced full details, the rally is expected to be held at Michigan State University. 

It will be Harris' latest attempt to spur turnout among young voters, who tend to back Democrats but do not always vote in large numbers. Harris rallied in Ann Arbor, near the University of Michigan, earlier this week.

Harris is also expected to reach out to Black voters earlier Sunday with stops in metro Detroit, including visits to a Detroit church, the city's Livernois business district and Pontiac.  

The visit is likely to be Harris' last trip to Michigan before Election Day. It's part of a swing state tour that is expected to conclude Monday in Pennsylvania, another key battleground.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump will rally in Macomb County on Friday. He hasn't disclosed his plans for Monday, but some Republicans expect the former president to close out his campaign in Michigan, as he did with Grand Rapids rallies in 2016 and 2020. 

— Jonathan Oosting

Thursday, Oct. 31

Kamala Harris returning in swing state blitz

Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris is set to campaign in Michigan on Sunday, two days before the Nov. 5 election.

Her presidential campaign has not confirmed the location or time of the event and did not immediately respond to a request for additional details. But the Michigan visit was announced as part of a broader tour of all seven battleground states over the final days of the election. 

Michigan will be the second-to-last stop, followed by Pennsylvania on Monday, according to a release from the campaign.

It’s also just one of a flurry of campaign events in Michigan coming in the election’s final week, as polls show Harris and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump effectively tied in Michigan.

Harris last rallied supporters in Ann Arbor Monday with artist Maggie Rogers in an effort to build enthusiasm among college students, a crucial voting bloc.

Trump will rally in Macomb County on Friday, and while he has not yet disclosed his plans for Monday, some Michigan Republicans expect the former president to close out his campaign in Michigan. He did so in 2016 and 2020 with rallies in Grand Rapids the night before Election Day.

— Simon Schuster

Wednesday, Oct. 30

Donald Trump, JD Vance, Tim Walz returning Friday 

Donald Trump, JD Vance and Tim Walz will each campaign in Michigan on Friday — just four days ahead of the Nov. 5 election. 

Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, is planning a rally in Warren, according to his campaign. He's slated to speak around 4:30 p.m. on the campus of Macomb Community College, which he also visited in September.

It will be Trump's 18th campaign stop in Michigan this year, according to an unofficial Bridge tally. 

Vance, his running mate, will hold a rally of his own in Portage at 1 p.m., according to the campaign. 

Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, is expected to speak during a Detroit event at 12:45 p.m., followed by a Flint rally at 3:30 p.m. and a Traverse City rally at 7:25 p.m.

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris held a rally in Ann Arbor on Monday but has not yet announced return plans.

More weekend or early-week visits from both presidential campaigns appear likely, however, given Michigan's status as a key swing state. Early in-person voting ends statewide on Sunday, ahead of the Tuesday election.

— Jonathan Oosting

Monday, Oct. 28

Bill Clinton, JD Vance due in state

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance is returning to Michigan this week, and former President Bill Clinton will campaign in the state for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. 

Vance is expected Tuesday at Center Courts in Saginaw at noon and at HES Equipment in Holland at around 3:30 p.m., according to his campaign with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Later Tuesday, Vance will also be at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids for a Newsmax town hall at 8 p.m., according to the conservative cable news outlet. 

Clinton will make several stops in west Michigan on Wednesday, according to the Harris campaign. 

He's slated for a Souls to the Polls breakfast in Muskegon Heights at 8:45 a.m., a Democratic canvass launch in South Haven at 12:30 p.m. and a "community conversation" in Benton Harbor at 1:45 p.m.

Vance has made frequent stops in Michigan, a key swing state in the presidential race. He’s been in the state 10 times since joining Trump on the ticket in July.

It'll be Clinton's first campaign swing for Harris in Michigan. His wife, former Secretary of State and 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, is expected in Detroit on Monday night as part of her national book tour. 

— Jonathan Oosting

Sunday, Oct. 27

Long lines for early voting

More than 145,000 voters cast in-person ballots on Saturday, the first day of nine days of statewide, early voting, beating expectations and creating long lines in some communities.

At least 12 municipalities attracted 1,000 voters, said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. The tally is almost double the 75,000 who voted early over nine full days of early voting during the August primary.

Statewide voters in 2022 passed a constitutional amendment expanding voting options. This is the first general election with in-person early voting. The amendment also expanded absentee balloting options. 

In all, voters have returned nearly 1.5 million absentee ballots, according to a state voting dashboard.

Republican former President Donald Trump has criticized the expanded options, but he and Democratic rival Kamala Harris both encouraged supporters to vote early during separate rallies in Michigan this weekend.

Eligible Michigan citizens can register to vote in person up to 8 p.m. on Election Day,  Nov. 5 with proof of residency at their city or township clerk’s office. Voters can register and cast a ballot on the same day. Learn more at Michigan.gov/Vote. 

— Joel Kurth

Friday, October. 25

Harris, Walz plan Ann Arbor visit

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and running mate Tim Walz will visit Ann Arbor on Monday, their campaign said. 

They'll be joined by singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers. 

Additional details for the event have not yet been released. 

It'll be Harris' second stop in Michigan in three days, following her planned rally on Saturday in Kalamazoo. The vice president also campaigned in Royal Oak earlier this week.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is also frequenting the swing state in the final weeks of the campaign, with planned events Friday in Traverse City and Saturday in Novi. 

— Jonathan Oosting and Simon Schuster

Thursday, Oct. 24

Republican Fred Upton endorses Kamala Harris

Republican former US Rep. Fred Upton has endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris for president, calling GOP nominee Donald Trump “completely unfit to serve.”

“True leaders take responsibility. They tell the truth. They put their duty before personal need and ambition. True leaders treat people with respect, even when those folks disagree with them,” Upton said on a press call Thursday morning. “Trump does none of that.”

Upton represented southwest Michigan for 36 years in the House, from 1987 until 2023, with a tenure highlighted by civility and bipartisan compromise.

He said his vote for Harris is his first for a Democratic presidential candidate, though he had not endorsed Trump in either 2016 or 2020. More than 40 former Republican members of Congress have publicly refused to support the former president, and at least 25 have directly endorsed Harris.

Upton was one of 10 Republican House members who voted to impeach Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol. Upton declined to seek reelection in 2022, citing redrawn congressional districts that likely would’ve forced him to face another — more Trump-aligned — GOP incumbent.

Another former Michigan member of Congress who voted to impeach Trump, Peter Meijer, lost his seat to a challenger from the right in 2022. Meijer, who mounted a brief campaign for Senate this year, said he would vote for Trump in 2024, despite Trump having campaigned to unseat him.

Harris has prioritized outreach to moderates and conservatives who dislike Trump in the election’s closing weeks, telling voters “there is a place for you in my campaign.”

To non-Democratic voters waffling on whether to support Harris, Upton said Harris would make genuine efforts to work through congressional gridlock, citing her willingness to sign bipartisan border security legislation that was scuttled at Trump’s behest earlier this year.

He was joined on the call by another former Republican congressman from Michigan, Dave Trott, who has publicly opposed Trump since 2019. 

“This is not an issue election, in my opinion,” Trott said on the call. “This is an election about character and country over party.”

A spokesperson for the Michigan Republican Party downplayed the Harris endorsements.

“Michigan families are worried about paying their bills, putting food on the table, and saving for their kids' college tuition," Victoria LaCivita said in a statement. "Any  'Republican' campaigning for another four years of unfettered illegal immigration and rising prices under Kamala Harris is neither Republican nor worth listening to." 

— Simon Schuster

Wednesday, Oct. 23

Kamala Harris, Michelle Obama to rally in Kalamazoo

Vice President Kamala Harris will rally in Kalamazoo alongside Michelle Obama on Saturday, the same day as early in-person voting begins statewide in Michigan.

It will be the former first lady’s first campaign event with Harris this cycle, although she also spoke at the Democratic National Convention in August. 

The Kalamazoo rally is slated for the same day as Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is scheduled to host a noon rally in Novi. Trump running mate JD Vance has a planned stop in Waterford Township on Thursday, and Trump will also stop in Traverse City Friday evening.

Trump won Grand Traverse County, where Traverse City is located, in 2020 against President Joe Biden by just over 1,800 votes though he lost Oakland County, which holds Waterford Township, that same cycle by over 108,000 votes.

Kalamazoo County, meanwhile, has been trending away from Trump and towards Democrats. Hillary Clinton won there with 53% of the vote in 2016, a performance Biden bested with 58% of the vote in 2020.

Trump, Harris and proxies for their campaigns have blitzed Michigan with stops this week. Former President Barack Obama appeared alongside rapper Eminem on Tuesday to campaign for Harris in Detroit. 

Recent polling has shown Harris with a 0.2% lead over Trump, according to analytics website FiveThirtyEight. That’s a 0.4% decrease for Harris since last week, and well within the margin of error, meaning the race is effectively tied.

The upcoming presidential campaign visits will each come less than two weeks before the Nov. 5 election. To see if you’re registered to vote, click here.

— Jordyn Hermani

Tuesday, Oct. 23

Surprise Supreme Court endorsement, Trump returning

Republican-nominated Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Elizabeth Clement on Tuesday endorsed Democratic nominee Kimberly Ann Thomas to replace an outgoing GOP colleague. 

Thomas, a University of Michigan law professor with trial and appellate experience, is running against Republican lawmaker Andrew Fink to fill an open seat being vacated by incumbent Justice David Viviano, who is stepping down from the court at the end of his current term. 

In a statement circulated by Thomas’ campaign, Clement said she worked with Thomas on the state’s bipartisan juvenile justice task force and has “every confidence that she will continue to work for collaborative and practical ways to improve our state courts.” 

“I know she and I will not agree on every issue, but her experience and background and commitment to civility and access to justice will make the Court stronger,” Clement continued in the statement. 

Michigan Supreme Court positions are technically nonpartisan, though candidates are selected at state party conventions. 

Clement was appointed to the court in November 2017 by then-Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, and was nominated by the Michigan Republican Party for a full term in the 2018 election despite concerns from some party activists. 

She’s long been considered a swing vote on the court and has frequently sided with Democratic-nominated court justices in key cases. 

Thomas and Fink are competing for the full-term opening on the bench. 

Incumbent Justice Kyra Harris Bolden, who was appointed in 2022 by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, is facing Republican nominee and Branch County judge Patrick William O’Grady for the partial term vacated by former Justice Bridget McCormack. 

— Lauren Gibbons

Tuesday, Oct. 22

Donald Trump heading to Traverse City, Novi

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump will return to Michigan this weekend for rallies in Traverse City and Novi, his campaign announced. 

The Traverse City event is set for 7:30 p.m. on Friday at an Avflight facility at the Cherry Capital Airport. 

The Novi rally is set for 12 p.m. Saturday at the Suburban Showplace. 

It’s not immediately clear what the former president will discuss in the upcoming Michigan rallies, but releases from his campaign cited the auto industry and inflation, among other topics. 

The back-to-back campaign rallies will mark Trump’s 16th and 17th events in Michigan, respectively. He’s heavily targeted the state in his bid to return to the White House. 

Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris was in Oakland County on Monday and is expected back in the state on Saturday for an event with former First Lady Michelle Obama. 

— Jonathan Oosting

Tuesday, Oct. 22

JD Vance returning to talk autos in Oakland County

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance is scheduled to return to Michigan Thursday, this time in Oakland County’s Waterford Township to deliver remarks on the state’s automotive industry.

His speech is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the Elite Jet Center at Contact, according to a campaign statement. It’s expected that Vance, a Republican US senator from Ohio, will address layoffs within Michigan’s auto industry, taking aim at in-state electric vehicle manufacturing in the process.

As part of the announcement, the campaign claimed both Vance and former President Donald Trump will “save the auto industry in Michigan and restore prosperity in the state.” 

Since the beginning of this year, Stellantis, General Motors and Ford have each announced layoffs or plans to scale back production of certain vehicle models. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, however, employment in the American auto manufacturing industry hit a 34-year high in July. 

In Michigan, auto manufacturing jobs were reported at their highest level since before the Great Recession in 2007, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank Of St. Louis.

Vance’s visit this week will be the ninth time he has appeared in Michigan this election cycle and second time the Trump campaign has appeared in the township. 

Vance’s visit also comes less than two weeks until Election Day on Nov. 5. To see if you’re registered to vote, click here.

— Jordyn Hermani

Monday, Oct. 21

Election results may take a day, Jocelyn Benson says

Michigan should have full, unofficial election results by the end of the day after the Nov. 5 election, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said Sunday.

Benson made the comment during an appearance on the CBS program “Face The Nation” on Sunday, when she answered questions about the election certification and the vote count.

“We do have more options to process ballots sooner than Election Day” since the 2020 election, Benson said. “I’m optimistic we could see results even sooner.”

While it could take nearly a day for state results, third parties including the Associated Press regularly call races long before unofficial results are available. Those are projections based on the vote counts already reported.

Benson told “Face The Nation” host Margaret Brennan she would still compel local canvassers to certify the election if former President Donald Trump wins the state.

More than 1 million absentee ballots have already been returned in Michigan, meaning that as of Monday morning more than 14% of Michigan registered voters have voted 15 days before Election Day.

Early, in-person voting launched in Detroit this past Saturday and Benson said close to 2,000 people voted on the first day, 10 times as the turnout on the first day in the August primary election.

Benson also criticized Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, after he claimed that absentee ballots are an invitation to fraud and spread a conspiracy theory about voting machines.

“It’s incumbent upon all of us to look to trusted sources of information, like your local election officials … as opposed to people who are running social media companies with particular agendas and who have a history of amplifying conspiracy theories and false information,” Benson said.

She and Musk also sparred on X on Sunday over Bridge Michigan reporting that found new state laws, including automatic voter registration when driver licenses are renewed, have led to more registered voters in the state than eligible ones.

The state currently has 8.4 million registered voters, according to the latest records obtained by Bridge Michigan, nearly 500,000 more than the number of people in the state who are old enough to vote.

While critics say the inflated rolls are not ideal, no one is suggesting they have contributed to fraud. By federal law, the state or local clerks can only remove voters from the rolls after the state notified they moved to another state, or if election mail sent to their home is returned as undeliverable and after they do not vote in two consecutive federal elections.

By 2027, an estimated 606,800 inactive voters are expected to be removed from rolls.

— Simon Schuster

Friday, Oct. 18

Michelle Obama coming to campaign with Kamala Harris

Former First Lady Michelle Obama will campaign alongside Vice President Kamala Harris in Michigan next week, marking the first time Obama has appeared on the campaign trail for the Democratic presidential nominee. 

Obama and Harris are expected to be in the state Saturday, Oct. 26, according to the campaign, though little additional information was immediately made available. Their planned visit is scheduled for the same day as Michigan’s early, in-person voting will be available statewide.

To find out where you can vote early and in-person, click here.

Their visit also comes the same week as former President Barack Obama plans to stump for the Harris campaign in Detroit on Tuesday. When running in 2008, Obama won Michigan with just over 57% of the vote, winning the state again in 2012 by 54%.

With only a few weeks left until the Nov. 5 Presidential election, Harris has made frequent visits to Michigan and will be here this weekend. She has planned stops in Grand Rapids, Lansing and Oakland County on Friday, followed by a Saturday stop in Detroit. Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz will be in Michigan on Sunday, attending a church service in Saginaw. 

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and his campaign has also targeted the state heavily in recent weeks. The former president will also be in Michigan Friday, hosting a roundtable discussion in Oakland County before holding a rally in Detroit.

Recent polling from the analytics website FiveThirtyEight put Harris at a 0.6% lead over Trump as of Friday, well within the margin of error as to who could win the state this fall.

— Jordyn Hermani

Wednesday, Oct. 16 

Nearly 800,000 votes already cast by absentee ballot

Nearly 800,000 Michigan residents have already voted by absentee ballot, according to new numbers from the Secretary of State. 

A voter participation dashboard released by the department shows 781,634 voters had returned absentee ballots as of Wednesday morning. The state’s new online site will be updated daily with the latest data. 

As of Tuesday — exactly three weeks out from the Nov. 5 general election — 672,585 Michigan voters had cast absentee ballots. That was down from the 977,694 ballots returned at the same point in 2020, when the state had sent applications to every registered voter while the COVID-19 pandemic raged. 

More than 2.1 million voters had requested absentee ballots as of Tuesday, down from 2.8 million at the same point for years earlier. 

Ultimately over 5.5 million voters cast ballots — absentee or in person — in 2020, the most ever in Michigan.

At the time, former President Donald Trump routinely criticized mail-in ballots as unsafe, and Republican voters were far more likely to vote in-person.

That trend has continued this year, with the most Republican counties also having the lowest rate of applying for and returning absentee ballots.

About 22% of active registered voters in the 10 most Republican counties have requested an absentee ballot this year, and less than 7% of registered voters in those counties have returned one. 

In the 10 most Democratic counties, 34% of active registered voters have asked for a ballot, and 11% have returned them, according to a Bridge Michigan analysis of voting patterns and registration totals.

Tuesday, Oct. 15

Trump returning to Detroit

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is slated to return to Michigan on Friday for a roundtable event in Oakland County and a rally in Detroit. 

The Oakland County stop is set for 5 p.m. and will also feature US Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida and Michigan US Senate candidate Mike Rogers, according to Build America's Future, a nonprofit organizing the event. 

Trump is then expected to rally with supporters at Detroit's Huntington Place convention center at 7 p.m., according to his campaign. 

Presidential visits

As a battleground state, Michigan residents can expect to see Vice President Kamela Harris, former President Donald Trump and their vice presidential picks repeatedly throughout the 2024 campaign. Bridge will track their visits, and those of their surrogates, until Election Day. Click on the circles to see who came, when and where. (Note: This map includes visits by President Joe Biden before he ended his reelection campaign)

The rally will be Trump's first visit to Detroit since disparaging the city last week, when he suggested that if Democratic rival Kamala Harris is elected, the "whole country will end up” like Detroit – "a mess."

The venue — previously named the TCF Center — is also significant. Trump supporters attempted to stop absentee-ballot counting at the Detroit convention center in 2020 to prevent Trump's loss. 

The Trump visits will be part of a busy campaign weekend in Michigan, where Harris is also expected to make multiple stops Friday and Saturday. 

— Jonathan Oosting

Sunday, Oct. 13 

Harris due in Detroit

In addition to her Tuesday visit for a radio town hall, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris will visit Detroit on Oct. 19 to promote the start of in-person early voting. 

Detroit is opening 14 early voting sites across the city where residents can cast ballots in person or drop off an absentee ballot. It will be Harris’ seventh visit to Michigan, her campaign said Saturday.

Early voting was legalized by Michigan voters in 2022, allowing citizens to cast a ballot in person. Most communities will begin offering early voting on Oct. 26 under the law, but are allowed to open early voting centers sooner.

The Michigan Department of State reported 101,847 absentee ballots were sent to Detroit voters and 35% – 36,101 total – were turned in as of Oct. 11. 

Detroit has received plenty of attention from presidential campaigns in the final weeks of the election. Former President Barack Obama is planning to visit Detroit on Oct. 22. 

— Malachi Barrett, BridgeDetroit

Friday, Oct. 11

Harris turns Trump Detroit comments into ad

Less than 24 hours after Donald Trump warned the Detroit Economic Club that the “whole country will end up being like Detroit” if Kamala Harris is elected, her campaign unveiled a new ad slamming his comments.

“He should be so goddamn lucky,” narrator Courtney B. Vance, a Detroit native, says to conclude the ad, which features scenes of Detroit’s resurgence since the city filed for bankruptcy more than a decade ago.

According to a statement from Harris’ campaign, the 60-second ad will run on television during this weekend’s Detroit Tigers and Lions games. It will also appear on social media. 

Trump disparaged the city Thursday during an address to the Detroit Economic Club. The audience, which was well-populated by supporters, did not audibly react to the statement.

The ad celebrates the city’s rebound and praises the resiliency of its residents. It also features another Trump statement from the 2020 election, when he said Detroit was like “living in hell.”

Trump has been courting Detroiters for months, hoping to peel off young Black voters from Democrats in order to win Michigan, one of the most hotly-contested battleground states. In 2020, Trump carried about 5% of the vote in the city, a slight improvement over his 2016 result.

— Simon Schuster

Friday, Oct. 11

Kamala Harris returning to Detroit for radio town hall

On the heels of her running mate Tim Walz’s campaign event at Macomb County Community College on Friday, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is expected back in Detroit next week to appear on a radio show and take listener calls.

She’ll join The Breakfast Club, a nationally-syndicated radio show, for a town hall-style event hosted by Charlamagne Tha God, the comedian and author announced on air Friday morning. 

“I would like some people from Detroit to join me as I sit down and have a conversation with our Vice President Kamala Harris,” he said. 

Charlamagne said his conversation with Harris will air Tuesday at 5 p.m. It wasn’t clear how much prominence callers would have in the programming, or if Harris will make other stops in Michigan. Her campaign confirmed via email that Harris would be attending the radio event, but did not offer further details.

The Breakfast Club is popular with Black millennial audiences, a crucial voting bloc for Harris that Republican rival Donald Trump has also courted. A recent poll from Quinnipiac University showed Trump has substantially improved his performance with non-white voters in battleground states since he lost in 2022. 

The radio show drew some notoriety in 2020 when now-President Joe Biden appeared as a guest and told Charlamagne, “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.”

Harris has visited Michigan four times since Biden announced he would not seek reelection in July, including most recently a week ago in Flint.

Trump was also in Detroit on Thursday where he spoke at a gathering of the Detroit Economic Club to roll out some new economic policy proposals.

— Simon Schuster

Wednesday, Oct. 9

Tim Walz to campaign in Macomb County

Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz will return to Michigan on Friday for a speech in Macomb County, the campaign announced. 

A press release from the campaign indicated Walz’s campaign event will be focused on the economy and manufacturing – big issues in Macomb, which is home to several auto plants.

Walz has previously visited Grand Rapids, East Lansing and Ann Arbor.

Presidential campaign visits are picking up tempo with absentee voting already underway in Michigan. Vance visited Detroit Tuesday, while former President Donald Trump visited Saginaw last Thursday and is scheduled to address the Detroit Economic Club this Thursday. Walz’s running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris, visited Flint last Friday for a rally.

In a visit to Auburn Hills last week, Vance quipped that Michiganders would see him or Trump “probably every week” until the election.

— Simon Schuster

Tuesday, Oct. 8

How to watch Slotkin, Rogers debate

Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Elissa Slotkin will share the stage Tuesday night for their first debate in Michigan’s high-stakes race for an open US Senate seat. 

The hour-long debate, set to begin at 7 p.m., will be hosted by WOOD TV8 in Grand Rapids. The station's political reporter, Rick Albin, will moderate. 

The Michigan race is considered one of just three true "toss ups" in the national battle for control of the Senate. 

Slotkin, of Holly, has served in the US House since 2019. Rogers served in the House from 2001 through 2014. They’re competing to replace Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Democrat who is retiring.

Here's what you need to know to watch the debate:

• Time: 7-8 p.m.
• Streaming: woodtv.com
• Cable: NewsNation
• Broadcast TV: WDIV in Detroit, WOOD TV8 in Grand Rapids, WLNS in Lansing, WJRT in Flint, 9&10 News in Traverse City, WJMN in Marquette

Return to bridgemi.com for post-debate coverage.

— Jonathan Oosting

Monday, Oct. 7

Donald Trump and JD Vance both slated to visit Detroit this week

The top of the Republican ticket is planning two Detroit visits this week, highlighting the importance of a city where Democrats have long dominated.

Vice presidential nominee JD Vance will make an appearance at Eastern Market on Tuesday to discuss the economy, the campaign announced. And as previously reported, presidential nominee Donald Trump is scheduled to speak at the Detroit Economic Club on Thursday.

Trump and Vance have been working to court voters in Michigan’s largest city, hoping to peel off some support from Democrat Kamala Harris in a state that Trump won by fewer than 11,000 votes in 2016. 

Trump earned just 3% of the vote in Detroit against Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in 2016, but for years later he did slightly better in the city, winning about 5% of the vote compared to Joe Biden’s 94% — a roughly 228,000 vote advantage. Biden won the state by about 154,000 votes.

The economic club, though, hardly represents the electorate of Michigan’s largest city. There is a fee for membership, and the club is targeted at business people looking to network with colleagues and policymakers.

Trump also spoke at the Detroit Economic Club during his first presidential run, rolling out his economic proposals in August 2016. He promised to abandon or renegotiate major trade agreements — which he did as president — and to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which he failed to do. 

Now-US Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, was ejected from that event as one of a series of protesters who disrupted Trump’s remarks.

The former president has already visited Detroit 11 times this year. Vance said last week during remarks in Auburn Hills that Michiganders should expect to see him or Trump “probably every week” until Election Day.

Vice President Kamala Harris was in Flint Friday to push back against Trump’s claims on the economy and electric vehicles.

— Simon Schuster

Friday, Oct. 4

Obama cuts ad for Slotkin, Sanders to stump for Harris

Former President Barack Obama has endorsed fellow Democrat and Michigan US Senate candidate Elissa Slotkin in a new one-minute advertisement. 

“Elissa is the kind of leader we need: tough, independent, and effective," Obama says in the ad for Slotkin, who is competing with Republican Mike Rogers to replace retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow. 

It’s among a trio of ads the former president filmed for Democratic candidates in key Senate campaigns. 

Obama will also reportedly begin a swing-state “blitz” with presidential nominee Kamala Harris, starting next week in Pennsylvania. It's not immediately clear if that will include Michigan. 

Harris will get some additional help in Michigan in coming days. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who ran for president in 2016 and 2020, plans to campaign for her across the state this weekend. 

Sanders and UAW President Shawn Fain are expected to hold a "rally against corporate greed" Saturday in Warren, followed by a Sanders town hall in Saginaw, according to his campaign committee. 

On Sunday, Sanders and Fain are scheduled to hold town hall-style events in Grand Rapids and East Lansing.

— Jonathan Oosting

Thursday, Oct. 3

Ex-lawmaker launches ‘Republicans for Harris’ chapter

Former US Rep. Dave Trott launched a Michigan chapter of “Republicans for Harris” on Thursday, calling former President Donald Trump “more dangerous than ever” ahead of the candidate’s planned afternoon stop in Saginaw.

Trott, who represented parts of metro Detroit for two terms before opting not to run for re-election in 2018, has said he voted for Trump in 2016 but has emerged as a vocal Trump critic in recent years. 

The former lawmaker endorsed President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris’ bid for the presidency in August. On Thursday, Trott claimed he’s “one of many Republicans” who are doing the same. 

“For Trump, this election is a choice between the White House and the jailhouse,” Trott said, later adding, “He's emotionally, intellectually, psychologically, and, of course, morally unfit to be president.”

The comments came the same day as former GOP US Rep. Liz Cheney will campaign with Harris in Ripon, Wisconsin, which some claim as the birthplace of the Republican Party. (Jackson, Michigan, claims the same).

Trott’s stance on Trump has been dismissed by some GOP faithful. Earlier this year, Oakland County Republican Party Chair Vance Patrick wrote on X that Trott is no longer a recognized member of the local party.

Anyone who supports Harris over Trump “is NOT a Republican,” Patrick wrote in an August post. 

Both Trump and Harris are returning to Michigan this week as polls show the pair neck and neck. Trump is holding a rally in Saginaw Thursday, and Harris plans to make a campaign stop in Flint Friday.

– Lauren Gibbons 

Wednesday, Oct. 2

Vance returns, Trump coming to Detroit Economic Club

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance returned to Michigan on Wednesday, and presidential nominee Donald Trump is planning yet another speech in the battleground state. 

Fresh off a Tuesday night debate with Democrat Tim Walz, Vance spoke in Auburn Hills, where he questioned federal spending meant to help the auto industry as it shifts to electric vehicles. 

"Donald Trump believes in encouraging innovation, but there's a difference between promoting innovation and sending hundreds of billions of dollars to favored industries that make their products in China," Vance said, referencing that country's hold on critical minerals needed for batteries.

"These are two very, very different things," Vance said of the spending, which has helped facilitate some pending EV battery plant projects in Michigan.

Democrats panned Vance ahead of the visit. Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is "looking to the future while Donald Trump and JD Vance want to drag our country backwards," said US Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor. 

Vance was expected at the Berlin Raceway near Grand Rapids later Wednesday.

Trump, already set to speak in Saginaw County on Thursday, will return to Michigan next week to speak at the Detroit Economic Club. 

That speech is set for Oct. 10 at 1 p.m., the Detroit Economic Club announced. Only club members and accompanied guests will have access.

Trump will be joined by local businessman John Rakolta Jr., who served as ambassador to the United Arab Emirates under Trump. 

Tuesday, Oct. 1

In debate, Vance and Walz asked about Oxford High shooting

Vice presidential candidates JD Vance and Tim Walz debated gun regulations on Tuesday night in response to a question about the 2021 mass shooting at Oxford High School in Michigan. 

In the first — and potentially only — televised vice presidential debate, CBS News moderator Norah O'Donnell noted that, for the first time in Oxford, parents of the shooter were convicted of involuntary manslaughter after failing to keep a newly purchased handgun away from their troubled teenage son. 

O'Donnell asked: "Do you think holding parents responsible could curb mass shootings?"

Neither candidate directly answered the question but discussed broader issues of gun violence and school safety. Watch the clip below:

Vance, the Republican nominee, said he did not know details of the Michigan case. He said he generally trusts law enforcement and local authorities to make such decisions. 

But he called for increased security in schools, including better locks, stronger doors and windows and more school resource officers. 

"The idea that we can magically wave a wand and take guns out of the hand of bad guys, it just doesn't fit with recent experience," Vance said. 

But "that's not far enough when we know there are things that work," said Walz, the Democratic nominee, who as governor of Minnesota last year signed "red flag" gun confiscation and universal background check measures into law.  

Walz previously opposed a federal assault weapons ban but now supports one. He said he changed his mind after hearing from the parents of the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting in 2012. 

"Just because you have a mental health issue doesn't mean you're violent," Walz said. "Sometimes it just is the guns. It's just the guns, and there are things that you can do about it."

— Jonathan Oosting

Tuesday, October 1

Watch full vice presidential debate between JD Vance, Tim Walz

Vice presidential candidates JD Vance and Tim Walz met on a debate stage in New York on Tuesday night for their first — and possibly only — debate before the Nov. 5 general election. 

The debate will be moderated by Norah O'Donnell of “CBS Evening News” and Margaret Brennan of “Face the Nation.” There was not a live audience.

The vice presidential hopefuls have both been in Michigan recently.

Vance, the running mate of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, spoke in Traverse City last week and is due back in Michigan on Wednesday for events in Auburn Hills and Marne. 

Walz, the running mate of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, was in Michigan for at least part of last weekend. He was reportedly preparing for the debate with US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who lives near Traverse City. He also visited a Harbor Springs farm and attended the Michigan-Minnesota college football game in Ann Arbor. 

CBS News hosted the debate. Watch it here:

 — Jonathan Oosting

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