Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson recently provided an update on the state's election results process, indicating that Michigan is on track to be the first battleground state to report complete unofficial results. Benson explained that the delay in reporting data from Wayne County is due to the processing of ballots from Detroit.
Benson mentioned that approximately 4,000 Detroit ballots are expected to arrive at the city's counting center soon. These ballots will need to be processed and tabulated before results can be reported. Once the tabulation is complete, Detroit's election department will send the results to Wayne County for validation and posting at the county level.
According to Benson, county clerks have the discretion to decide whether to report partial results from city clerks or wait until all ballots are counted before posting the data. She emphasized that the tabulation process is mostly finished, with only a few ballots left to be processed.
Regarding Warren, Michigan's third-largest city, Benson noted that only a few hundred ballots remain to be tabulated. The city's clerk opted not to take advantage of a new law allowing for early tabulation of absentee ballots.
Benson reassured the public that there are no issues holding up results from Wayne County; rather, it is part of the normal election process. She described the delay as a result of the system working efficiently and highlighted the significant number of ballots that have already been tabulated.
Overall, Benson's update provided insight into the ongoing election results process in Michigan, shedding light on the steps being taken to ensure accurate and timely reporting of results.
