(Source: MIRS.news, Published 10/22/2024) With more than 1.1 million absentee ballots already turned in, Mark Grebner of Practical Political Data reported today that what he's seeing is that Democrats' response rate is about 4.5 percent higher than Republicans.

After Democrats appeared to be returning their ballots faster early on, Grebner now said “they are pacing along evenly now." Among voters IDed as Democrats by Grebner, 57 percent have returned their ballots. Among Republicans, it's 53 percent.

Among those voters categorized as undecideds, Grebner said AV response levels are still low.

“Of course, ticket splitters are very slow to vote because they have to still figure out who to vote for drain commissioner,” he said. “They're dragging their feet because they're still calling their brother who knows somebody who knows something about a candidate running for the library board.”

Grebner shared his thoughts today after Secretary Jocelyn Benson reported today that Michigan is seeing “record-breaking early voting turnout” with two weeks to go before the General Election.

Around 5,100 Michiganders have voted in-person at an early voting site. This is the first presidential election in which early in-person voting has been offered. 

When compared to the primary, the early in-person was doing much better. It began for East Lansing, Canton Township on Monday and for Detroit on Saturday. The early voting opens statewide this coming Saturday and ends Nov. 3

In Detroit, 1,888 Detroit voters cast a ballot, more than the 266 Detroit voters who voted on the first day of early voting in the primary. In East Lansing, 115 voters showed up. In Canton Township, the number was 981. 

As a side note, Grebner noted that 115 voters in one day is impressive considering Michigan State University students were on their fall break when early voting started.

Still, Grebner still chuckled at the title of Benson's press release.

“Of course it's record-breaking. We've never done it before," Grebner said. "It's like setting records at an all-city track meet the first year that you have two high schools.”