Voter turnout was up during Michigan's 2024 election. Figuring out exactly why may be tough.
Michigan ranked third in the country in voter turnout percentage last year, an achievement the state credits to major election reform and a strong voter education campaign.
In a first-of-its-kind turnout report, the Department of State highlights the effect of recent voter-approved constitutional amendments, noting an increase in turnout between 2020 and 2024, hundreds of thousands ballots cast by first-time voters and the more than 1.2 million who took advantage of the states new early-voting laws.
But some experts say the true driver of the gains was likely local election officials.
Corwin Smidt, interim director of Michigan State Universitys Institute for Public Policy and Social Research, said that research typically held that early voting laws often dont improve turnout much. About 255,000 early voters in Michigan hadnt voted in 2020, the report found. But studies have found those who vote early typically planned to vote in their election anyway, and keeping an early-voting option open adds a significant burden on election officials.
https://michiganadvance.com/2025/07/12/voter-turnout-was-up-during-michigans-2024-election-figuring-out-exactly-why-may-be-tough/