Detroit Election Night: A Rollercoaster of Delays and Surprises!
Oh, Detroit! The city that never fails to keep us on our toes, especially when it comes to election night drama! As the clock struck midnight on the exciting night of the presidential election, anticipation was thick in the air, but the results? Well, they didn’t quite meet expectations!
High Hopes Dashed
Before the voting day kicked off, Wayne County and Detroit election officials were feeling pretty optimistic. They had their eyes set on a speedy count, thanks to some promising new laws that allowed for absentee ballots to be pre-processed before the big day and extended early voting hours. City Clerk Janice Winfrey had her sights on achieving something remarkable: wrapping up the counting marathon by midnight. However, as reality sunk in, the numbers told a different story. By the time the clock hit midnight, only about 10% of the votes in Wayne County had been counted!
What Went Wrong?
If you’re curious about what happened, let us spill the tea! One of the major hiccups on election night came from an unfortunate traffic incident. An election worker, who was on the job transporting ballots from a polling location in Detroit, had a car crash that led to sealed ballot boxes spilling onto the road. Thankfully, the worker is doing alright, but what an unexpected turn of events!
The ballots themselves remain in the care of the sealed canisters, and are not being mishandled by the police. Authorities are swooping in to collect those precious votes and take them to Huntington Place, where the counting is set to begin.
More Absentee Ballots Than Expected
And if that wasn’t enough, there’s the matter of absentee ballots! Just before the midnight deadline, Michigan’s Secretary of State, Jocelyn Benson, hinted at another shipment of absentee ballots that hadn’t yet made an appearance. This unexpected shipment added to the mounting challenges Wayne County officials faced—it appears they will not meet their ambitious target of having all votes counted by midnight.
Count On It!
But all is not lost! The team of dedicated workers are currently busy cross-checking signatures on the incoming ballots, working diligently to ensure that all votes are legitimate and accounted for. They’re anticipating these ballots will be properly sorted and delivered by 1:30 a.m., although we might be in for an even longer wait—possibly extending into the day on Wednesday. It looks like the final tallies could be trickling in much later than anticipated.
Overall, Smooth Sailing!
Despite these hiccups, Wayne County officials reported that everything else has been running smoothly throughout the night. It’s no secret that election nights can be chaos, but this year’s event managed to maintain a sense of order for the most part.
Detroit, you’ve certainly given us something to talk about—a mix of hope, excitement, and unexpected twists, all packed into one unforgettable election night. As the counting continues, rest assured that your fellow Detroiters are on the job, working round the clock to ensure every single voice is heard and accounted for. Here’s to making it through the night, and fingers crossed for clearer results soon!
Stay tuned, Detroit—a thrilling finish is on the horizon!
