DETROIT (WXYZ) — Just four days prior to the August 2 Michigan primary election, Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey detailed her plans Thursday to inform voters of polling locations and the steps she has taken to ensure the election is safe, fair and free from fraud.
“Every voter. Every Detroit voter was been impacted by the redistricting. Either their legislative district or their polling place or their precinct changed,” Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey said about what has changed since the 2020 General Election.
Many things have changed, Winfrey said, since the 2020 General Election. Redistricting has reduced the number of voting precincts in the city from 503 to 450. All registered voters, Winfrey said, should’ve received new voter identification cards that include accurate and current precinct information.
But, voter turnout is expected to be much lower this election cycle, a trend, Winfrey said, is national.
“We anticipate a 12 to 17% turnout. Yes, that’s lower than what we’d like, but that’s the trend,” Winfrey said. “We expect to count about 40,000 absentee ballots and about that many voters will cast their votes in the precincts.”
Over 3,000 poll workers have been trained and assigned to work in the August 2 primary election. More than 800 Republicans, Winfrey said, have expressed interest in participating as poll workers.
“We’ve reached out to every last one of them and, as a result, we’ve trained and assigned more than 264 Republican poll workers,” she said.
Due to issues stemming from the 2020 Election, Winfrey said, security at all precincts and the Central Counting Board will be heightened. Poll workers, challengers, media and observers will be required to go through metal detectors and designated entrances before entering voting locations.
“Poll workers will enter through the south entrance. Challengers, media and observers will enter through the east entrance,” Winfrey said about the security measures adopted for this election.
“Challengers, media and observers will be required to present ID’s to be swiped and they are required to sign an affidavit. In addition, 20 Detroit Police officers will be detailed inside of this facility, Central Counting Board for Election Day.”
The enhanced security measures are a response to the many claims of election fraud arising from the 2020 Presidential Election.
“In our last municipal election, which was last year in 2021, all of our absentee counting boards balanced in counting in both the primary and general elections and 98% of our precincts balanced as well. That will be our goal for this election and every election moving forward. We will be duplicating those achievements.”
